Disclosing Sexual Violence

The State University of New York and Nassau Community College want you to get the information and support you need regardless of whether you would like to move forward with a report of sexual violence to campus officials or to police. You may want to talk with someone about something you observed or experienced, even if you are not sure that the behavior constitutes sexual violence. A conversation where questions can be answered is far superior to keeping something to yourself. Confidentiality varies, and this document is aimed at helping you understand how confidentiality applies to different resources that may be available to you.

In this Policy:

• Privileged and Confidential Resources.
• Non-Professional Counselors and Advocates.
• Privacy versus Confidentiality.
• Requesting Confidentiality: How the College Will Weigh the Request and Respond.
• Public Awareness/Advocacy Events.
• Anonymous Disclosure.
• Institutional Crime Reporting.

Privileged and Confidential Resources:

Individuals who are confidential resources will not report crimes to law enforcement or college officials without your permission, except for extreme circumstances, such as a health and/or safety emergency. At Nassau Community College this includes:

The College’s Psychological Counseling Center
Nassau Hall, Room 9
516.572.7698

Licensed Healthcare Providers at the Student Health Office
Near College Union and Theatre
516-572-7123

Off-campus counselors and advocates

Note that these off-campus organizations do not provide any information to the campus.  Crisis services offices will generally maintain confidentiality unless you request disclosure and sign a consent or waiver form.  More information on an agency’s policies on confidentiality may be obtained directly from the agency.  Off-campus options to disclose sexual violence confidentially include:

• The Safe Center L.I.; 516.542.0404; Website
• The Retreat; 631.329.2200; Website
• In New York City, call 1-800-621-HOPE (4673) or dial 311
• Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence (in several languages): Website
• • NYS LGBTQ IPV NETWORK (Intimate Partner Violence Network): Website
• The Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network: Website
• Response-A 24-hour crisis information hotline: 516.679.1111
• Sexual Assault, rape, child abuse 24/7 hotline: 516.222.2293
• Project Salva 24/7 bi-lingual domestic violence hotline 516-889-2849
• New York State Hotline for Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence: 1-800-942-6906
• Victims Information Bureau of Suffolk Family Violence and Rape Crisis Center; Hotline: 631-360-3606
• New York State Coalition Against Sexual Assault; Website

Off-campus healthcare providers

Note that medical office and insurance billing practices may reveal information to the insurance policyholder, including medication and/or examinations paid for or administered. The New York State Office of Victim Services may be able to assist in compensating victims/survivors for health care and counseling services, including emergency compensation. More information may be found here: Website, or by calling 1-800-247-8035. Options are explained here: Website

Note that even individuals who can typically maintain confidentiality are subject to exceptions under the law, including when an individual is a threat to him or herself or others and the mandatory reporting of child abuse.

Non-Professional Counselors and Advocates:

Non-professional counselors and advocates can also assist you without sharing information that could identify you. At the College, this includes:

• Designated Sexual Harassment Counselors. As of the date of this publication, the following employees at the College have been designated as qualified Sexual Harassment Counselors.  However, Theresa Aydelott, the Title IX Coordinator (516- 572-7121; Administrative Tower, 8^th Floor) shall at all times maintain an updated list of all Designated Sexual Harassment Counselors. 

   

  Miriam Afkhani-Ramirez

  516.572.7698 ext. 25503

   

  Andrina Veit Cleveland

  516.572.7518 ext. 26628 

   

  Christopher Muller

  516.572.7696 

  Catherine Lewis

  516.572.7241

  Diana Milillo

  516.572.5007

  Susan Newlin-Wagner

  516.572.7185 ext. 25342

  Robert Ramirez

  516.572.7781

  Tina Wynder

  516.572.7771 x25825

  Silvina Trica-Flores

  516.572.7414 x25107

• Individuals who work or volunteer in the Student Personnel Services offices

Nassau Hall, Room 11
516-572-7506

• Student Health Center employees and volunteers (other than licensed healthcare providers):  

Student Health Office
Near Student Union and Theatre
516-572-7123

These individuals will report the nature, date, time, and general location of an incident to the College's Title IX Coordinator, but will consult with you to ensure no personally identifying details are shared without your consent. These individuals are not considered confidential resources as discussed above.

Privacy versus Confidentiality:

Even College offices and employees who cannot guarantee confidentiality will maintain your privacy to the greatest extent possible. The information you provide to a non-confidential resource will be relayed only as necessary to investigate and/or seek a resolution and to notify the Title IX Coordinator or designee, who is responsible under the law for tracking patterns and spotting systemic issues. The College will limit the disclosure as much as possible, even if the Title IX Coordinator determines that the request for confidentiality cannot be honored.

Requesting Confidentiality: How the College Will Weigh the Request and Respond:

If you disclose an incident to a College employee who is responsible for responding to or reporting sexual violence or sexual harassment, but wish to maintain confidentiality or do not consent to the institution’s request to initiate an investigation, the Title IX Coordinator must weigh your request against our obligation to provide a safe, non-discriminatory environment for all members of our community, including you.

We will assist you with academic, employment, and other reasonable and available accommodations regardless of your reporting choices. While reporting individuals may request accommodations through several college offices, the following office can serve as a primary point of contact to assist with these measures:  Equity, Inclusion, and Affirmative Action, ADA/504 Office, Tower 8^th Floor, Room 818; 516.572.7121. We also may take proactive steps, such as training or awareness efforts, to combat sexual violence in a general way that does not identify you or the situation you disclosed.

We may seek consent from you prior to conducting an investigation. You may decline to consent to an investigation, and that determination will be honored unless the College’s failure to act does not adequately mitigate the risk of harm to you or other members of the College community. Honoring your request may limit our ability to meaningfully investigate and pursue conduct action against an accused individual. If we determine that an investigation is required, we will notify you and take immediate action as necessary to protect and assist you.

When you disclose an incident to someone who is responsible for responding to or reporting sexual violence or sexual harassment, but wish to maintain confidentiality, the College will consider many factors to determine whether to proceed despite that request. These factors include, but are not limited to:

• Whether the accused has a history of violent behavior or is a repeat offender;
• Whether the incident represents escalation, such as a situation that previously involved sustained stalking,
• the increased risk that the accused will commit additional acts of violence;
• Whether the accused used a weapon or force;
• Whether the reporting individual is a minor; and
• Whether we possess other means to obtain evidence such as security footage, and whether the report reveals a pattern of perpetration at a given location or by a particular group.

If the College determines that it must move forward with an investigation, the reporting individual or victim/survivor will be notified and the College will take immediate action as necessary to protect and assist them.

Public Awareness/Advocacy Events:

If you disclose a situation through a public awareness event such as “Take Back the Night,” candlelight vigils, protests, or other public event, the College is not obligated to begin an investigation. The College may use the information you provide to inform the need for additional education and prevention efforts.

Anonymous Disclosure:

New York State Hotline for Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence: 1-800-942-6906

This Hotline is for crisis intervention, resources and referrals and is not a reporting mechanism.

At Nassau Community College, you may report anonymously by filling out an Anonymous Complaint Form, available from the College’s website, and mailing it to the Office of the Title IX Coordinator.  The reporting form is accessible here: Anonymous Complaint Form 

Institutional Crime Reporting

Reports of certain crimes occurring in certain geographic locations will be included in the College’s Clery Act Annual Security Report in an anonymized manner that neither identifies the specifics of the crime or the identity of the reporting individual or victim/survivor.

The College is obligated to issue timely warnings of Clery Act crimes occurring within relevant geography that represent a serious or continuing threat to students and employees (subject to exceptions when potentially compromising law enforcement efforts and when the warning itself could potentially identify the reporting individual or victim/survivor). A reporting individual will never be identified in a timely warning.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act allows institutions to share information with parents when

1. there is a health or safety emergency, or
2. when the student is a dependent on either parents’ prior year federal income tax return. Generally, the College will not share information about a report of sexual violence with parents without the permission of the reporting individual.