Frequently Asked Questions
You know when something’s not right. When someone’s in trouble—or about to be. You can be the one to help. Say something. Cause a distraction. Be the one to step into a situation to help someone out of it.
Reporting
Do I have to report this to the police?
Contacting local law enforcement and/or Valencia Security is always an option available
to reporting parties/complainants. Should you choose to speak with a member of the
Equal Opportunity team regarding an incident, the college can assist you, at your
request, in connecting with Valencia security and/or local law enforcement. Please
note that should the College be made aware of reported child abuse or neglect, the
College may have an obligation to report as per college policy and Florida state statute.
How many people am I going to have to talk to?
We make every effort to minimize the amount of times that a reporting party and/or
complainant needs to describe what took place. Our process strives to identify a single
point of contact from the Equal Opportunity team that upon receipt of a report/complaint,
serves as the initial point of contact and will likely be the individual to conduct
any review, assessment and/or investigation. Complainants who proceed through a Title
IX Hearing will be required to also engage in the hearing, which means providing information
to the Title IX Hearing Officer and responding to questions asked through the respondent’s Title IX Advisor.
What is the difference between reporting to Valencia Security and local law enforcement?
All reporting parties/complainants have the opportunity to report their concerns to Valencia Security. Valencia's Security
team is a resource to discuss situation that may involve safety and security concerns
on campus, though it is important to note that Valencia Security is not a law enforcement
agency. Valencia's Security team, however, does have partnerships with local law enforcement
agencies, including law enforcement presence on our campuses. At your request, Valencia
Security can help facilitate connecting with the appropriate agency.
Please note, at the Downtown Campus, the UCF Police Department is onsite and responsible for the safety and security of the campus. As UCF PD is a sworn law enforcement agency, their response may be different than Valencia’s Security.
Please note that should the college be made aware of reported child abuse or neglect, the college may have an obligation to report as per college policy and Florida state statute.
Do I have to report to police and security?
Reporting parties/complainants have a variety of reporting options available to them,
including but not limited to Valencia Security, local law enforcement, and the College’s
Equal Opportunity team. Reporting parties/complainants are not required to report
an incident to security or law enforcement, however, this remains an option. The
Equal Opportunity team can discuss these options with a reporting party/complainant
in order to help make an informed decision about reporting.
Can I report information on behalf of someone else?
You may report information for someone else. The College, however, may be limited
in the support we are able to provide without speaking directly to the complainant,
who is the person directly affected by the incident.
Resources
Does Valencia College have a victim/survivor advocate?
Valencia partners with the Victim Service Center of Central Florida that offers a
24-hour helpline that provides victim/survivor advocates who can be with the complainant
through all steps of the process. Also, Harbor House of Central Florida provides a
24-hour hotline for victims/survivors of domestic/dating violence. They also provide
safe shelter, legal advocacy, injunctions and relocation assistance.
Victim Service Center 24-hour helpline: 407-500-4325
Harbor House of Central Florida 24-hour confidential crisis hotline: 407-886-2856
https://www.harborhousefl.com/
What protective supportive measures are available?
The college can consider supportive measures that involve academic classes, no-contact
orders and transportation accommodation requests from the complainant. These requests
should be made through the Title IX coordinator/deputy coordinator. Efforts will be
made to honor these requests, whenever possible.
Where can I obtain a forensic medical exam?
The Victim Service Center of Central Florida is a 24-hour helpline and victim/survivor
advocate at 211 East Michigan Ave. Suite 210, Orlando, FL 32806. They provide forensic
evidence collection by a sexual assault nurse examiner in a private facility offered
in a home-like environment. While no one is required to get this exam, we encourage the
complainant to be seen by a health professional if they have been the victim of sexual
assault or other forms of violence.
Victim Service Center 24-hour helpline: 407-500-4325
What are interim protective measures?
Interim Protective Measures are temporary actions taken by the College to ensure equal
access to its educational programs and activities and foster a stable and safe environment
during the process of reporting, investigation, and/or resolution. These actions are
designed, as appropriate, to restore or preserve access to education without unreasonably
burdening any party and are intended to be non-disciplinary and non-punitive. As determined
to be appropriate in the sole discretion of the College, these measures may be applied
or modified at any time to ensure the health and safety of involved parties.
Examples include, but are not limited to, class or work schedule modifications and no contact orders.
Where can I obtain a forensic medical exam?
For any concerns being investigated in accordance with the College’s Discrimination, Harassment, and Related Misconduct policy, both complainants and respondents have the right to be assisted by an Advisor (the
Advisor may not be a witness to the situations being reviewed). The Advisor is a silent
and non-participating person who solely observes and provides support during the investigation
process.
For those situations being investigated as Title IX Sexual Misconduct, the role of the Advisor is expanded during a Title IX Hearing process. To participate in a Title IX Hearing, both the complainant and respondent must have a Title IX Advisor, who is an individual (who may be but is not required to be an attorney) selected by either the complainant or respondent and is permitted to participate in the Title IX Sexual Misconduct processes, to conduct cross-examination during a live hearing. Outside of cross-examination during a live hearing, the role of the Title IX Advisor’s during any meetings is to serve as a silent and nonparticipating person who solely observes and provides support.
Confidentiality
Is my family going to be called?
No. However, the college can assist you with notifying supportive individuals, should
you choose to do so. Complainants under the age of 18, however, may be subject to
additional disclosures, if the allegation involves possible child abuse and/or neglect.
If you have questions regarding this disclosure, please contact the Title IX coordinator.
Why can’t the college guarantee confidentiality?
A complainant may request that his/her name not be disclosed to alleged respondents,
or that no investigation or disciplinary action be pursued to address the discrimination
or disciplinary action, particularly in cases of sexual violence. Although the College
will work with a complainant to support issues of privacy and confidentiality, there
are situations in which the College may need to override a request for confidentiality
in order to meet its obligations. These instances will be limited, and the information
will be maintained in a secure manner and will only be shared with individuals who
are responsible for handling the college’s response to the incident of misconduct.
In the rare situation that the college needs to disclose information when requests
have been made for confidentiality, both the complainant and the respondent will be
notified.
Processes and Procedures
Who can explain to me the college’s response?
The Assistant Vice President, Equity and Access who is the College’s Title IX Coordinator,
or a member of the Equal Opportunity team will be able to meet with the complainant
to talk about options, assistance, available on and off-campus resources, the college’s
response, and any other questions that may be asked. The complainant is strongly encouraged
to meet with the above listed individuals to get their questions answered, including
engaging in a discussion before the complainant details any specific allegations or
incident.
What if I've been accused?
The respondent should review the information included in policy 6Hx28:2-01 which describes the procedures for how the college will respond. You will be offered
an opportunity to meet with The Assistant Vice President, Equity and Access and the
College’s Title IX Coordinator, or a member of the Equal Opportunity team to discuss
the process, have your questions answered and be able to provide information regarding
the allegations.
What does the process look like?
The process is outlined in detail in the Discrimination, Harassment and Related Misconduct policy 6Hx28:2-01. It is a non-adversarial process in which the College attempts to determine the facts
of the report and take the necessary follow up action. It is not a criminal process
and does not include the participation or judges or juries. Attorneys may serve as
advisors, however, their role is not that of an attorney acting in a court of law.
Their role is limited and additional information can be found by reviewing the above
policy.
Why can't my lawyer represent me in the process? Ultimately, the College’s process is an educational process and the respondent is not entitled to representation by an attorney or another party. Attorneys can serve as “advisors” (see definition in policy 6Hx28:2-01) who can advise their client but do not play active roles in the college’s process. In cases involving Title IX Sexual Misconduct, attorneys can serve as Title IX Advisors during the live hearing for the purpose of cross-examination. If attorneys have questions regarding this expectation, they should contact the college’s General Counsel Office at 407-582-3450.
What are some protective measures that may be taken?When students are accused of misconduct, they may be subject to interim action pending the outcome of the College’s disciplinary process. These include, but are not limited to, emergency suspension from the college, removal from an academic class, restriction from being on campus, restriction from entering a specific building or a specific area of campus, and no-contact with the complainant or others involved in the complaint. When faculty or staff are accused of misconduct, they may be subject to interim action pending the outcome of the College’s process. These include, but are not limited to, leave of absence (voluntary or involuntary), or college-imposed leave or separation.
Why am I being punished before my case has been reviewed?
At times, due to the nature of the allegation, it is essential for the College to
take immediate action to protect the safety of the campus community. This could include
involuntary leave or suspension from the College for students, administrative leave
with pay for employees, and/or other interim action. This action is interim and pending
the outcome of the College’s process. The immediate and interim action is not a punishment
and should not be viewed as such. Every effort will be made so as not to disrupt the
academic or work environment while the college reviews the complaint.
What if I am not happy with the outcome?
Valencia College policy 6Hx28:2-01 outlines the appeal process.
What about retaliation against complainants, respondents, or involved parties?
The College will take action against any individual or group of individuals who retaliate
against a complainant or any other party involved in a report of discrimination, harassment,
or related misconduct – including sexual misconduct and Title IX Sexual Misconduct.
Often times, no-contact orders are issued to both the respondent and the complainant to
inform them that they are to have no contact with the other party. This includes,
but is not limited to, in-person, via telephone, email, social media, or having others
contact the complainant or other parties on his/her behalf. Individuals who believed
they have been subject to retaliation are encouraged to contact the Equal Opportunity
team as soon as possible so that the College can address the concern in a timely manner.
Possible Criminal/Civil Action
What if I have a pending court case?
Respondents with pending court cases are encouraged to contact their attorney to discuss
their individual situation. The College's process will proceed independently of a
criminal court case and is not dependent on the decision from the court with regards
to cases of misconduct.
What if the court or police dismiss my case?
The College's process is separate from any concurrent or pending charges through the
court system. The final results of a police investigation and/or a criminal proceeding
do not impact the College's process.