Title IX and Equity FAQ

Students, faculty, staff, volunteers, contractors, visitors, program participants, and people seeking to be involved in university programs or activities.

Under Federal Title IX Regulations, formal Title IX complaints are limited to conduct that has occurred on campus, during a university program or activity in the U.S., or at a building owned or controlled by an officially recognized student organization. But, University of Bridgeport’s Policy on Harassment, Discrimination, Sexual Misconduct, and Retaliation extends beyond the scope of Title IX. The University will address misconduct that occurs off campus and outside of a university program if it has an impact on the University.

The standard of proof is the “preponderance of the evidence” or more likely than not.

Any University of Bridgeport employee is required to report incidents which may fall under the Policy on Harassment, Discrimination, Sexual Misconduct, and Retaliation to the Title IX and Equity Coordinator. The only persons exempt from this are Counseling Services, Health Services, Employee Assistance Program, and the Center for Family Justice.

• The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR)
• Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Being under the influence does not mean you were unable to provide consent. But if you were “incapacitated” due to alcohol or drugs you would be unable to give consent. Incapacitation describes a level of intoxication where a person is unable to give consent.

Yes, there are various options to keep this person from contacting you. A “no-contact order” may be issued, which instructs the person they can no longer have any form of contact with you. Violation may result in sanctions through the University’s conduct system.

A court may also be able to help. Even without a formal report to law enforcement, you can file for a “no contact order” that can provide a higher level of protection.

We attempt to keep investigations as confidential as possible. Witnesses identified by the parties will need to be interviewed. However, we will not provide information to people outside of the investigation, such as professors. Information is only shared, when necessary, with members of the Title IX team to help provide support, resources, and address your concerns.

We encourage witnesses and respondents to keep information confidential, but we cannot prevent others from discussing the situation.

The Public Records Act requires that if we receive a request for information relating to your report/complaint, we must disclose it. Names and identifying information will be redacted.

Absolutely. You are not required to provide additional information about the incident or participate in a university investigation to receive services. You would be required to provide minimal information as to what kind of conduct occurred for a brief incident report, but you do not have to provide complete details if you choose not to.

In this instance, the University’s response is primarily providing services to the Complainant. If we become aware that a community member poses a larger threat to the University community, we may pursue additional measures to ensure safety. If the Respondent attends another university, the Title IX and Equity Coordinator can help you file a complaint with the Respondent’s university.

No. You always have the right to decide whether you want to file a report with law enforcement. If the crime happened on campus, we would notify our campus security as they are responsible for providing statistical information about the number of crimes that happen on campus. But this does not mean an investigation will be conducted.

Yes. Based solely on an anonymous report, neither the University nor campus security may be able to pursue action against the person. You would still be able to file a complaint in the future with the University or law enforcement.

If you do choose to report anonymously, we want to ensure you are safe. Please reach out to confidential resources to discuss options and other available resources.

If you are a student:

If you are student, staff, or faculty:

The Center for Family Justice
753 Fairfield Avenue
Bridgeport, CT 06604
Phone: 203-334-6154
Domestic Abuse Hotline 203-384-9559
Sexual Assault Hotline 203-333-2233

If you are faculty or staff:

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
800-252-4555

If you report to law enforcement, an officer will meet with you and take a report. Based on your wishes, they may start an investigation that could include talking to any witnesses. The officers can help plan for your safety if you decide to press charges.