Any person may report sexual harassment to the Title IX Coordinator. Reports may be made in person, by regular mail, telephone, electronic mail, or by any other means that results in the Title IX coordinator receiving the person’s verbal or written report. In-person reports must be made during normal business hours, but reports can be made by regular mail, telephone, or electronic mail at any time, including outside normal business hours.
In addition to reporting to the Title IX Coordinator, any person may report sexual harassment to any University employee with managerial authority over other employees, including cabinet members, deans, department heads, directors, supervisors, head coaches, and other managers (collectively “Reporting Officials”) who must promptly forward such report of Sexual Harassment to the Title IX coordinator. University employees who are not Reporting Officials are encouraged, but are not required, to forward reports of sexual harassment to the Title IX Coordinator.
A person may also file a complaint of sexual harassment with the United States Department of
Education’s Office for Civil Rights regarding an alleged violation of Title IX by visiting www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/complaintintro.html or by calling 1-800-421-3481.
In addition to making a report under this policy, the University encourages any person who believes he or she is the victim of a crime to make a report to law enforcement. The contact information for the University’s Police Department is:
911 (emergency)
(417) 623-3131 (Report a crime)
(417) 626-2222 (Service calls)
UPD@mssu.edu
Lower campus area between Ummel and Plaster Halls on Mission Hills Drive
If requested, the University will assist an alleged victim in notifying the appropriate law enforcement authorities. If a person believes he or she is in imminent danger, the person should dial 911. Unless there is a health or safety emergency, articulable threat to members of the University Community, or a state law requiring reporting (such as in the case of child abuse) the University will not contact outside law enforcement without the alleged victim’s permission.
It is also important to take steps to preserve evidence in cases of Stalking, to the extent such evidence exists. In cases of Stalking, evidence is more likely to be in the form of letters, emails, text messages, etc., rather than evidence of physical contact and violence. This type of non-physical evidence will also be useful in all types of Sexual Harassment investigations.
Once a report of Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, or Stalking is made, the victim has several options such as, but not limited to:
The University’s Department of Public Safety can assist individuals in obtaining a personal protection order (“PPO”).
The Title IX Coordinator may designate the Title IX Coordinator’s duties to appropriately
trained designee pursuant to this policy.
