G-28-3.2 COCC's Approach to Reviewing Incident Reports

Under COCC’s sexual harassment, sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking policies and processes, the College will employ an anti-oppression, culturally-responsive, gender-responsive, and trauma-informed approach to its interaction with the reporting and responding parties; see below for definitions of each. Additionally, the College will provide training on these topics to key staff employees involved with any sexual harassment investigation.

Anti-Oppression. As part of its sexual harassment process, COCC will demonstrate an ongoing commitment to anti-oppression policies and processes by:

• Treating each report seriously and without marginalizing, silencing or dismissing reported behaviors;
• Not blaming the reporting party for any reported or past actions;
• Regularly evaluating sexual harassment, sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking policies and procedures to ensure an equitable process for all parties involved, including individualized supports for the reporting party and equal access to advocates at all stages of the process for all parties.

Culturally-Responsive. As part of its sexual harassment process, COCC will demonstrate an ongoing commitment to being culturally-responsive by:

• Creating opportunities for dialogue about reported incidents between investigators and those involved with any investigation;
• Maintaining a trusting, respectful persona with all parties;
• Understanding that one’s history and culture may affect how information is shared;
• Not judging the information or person based on how information is presented; and
• Providing on-going diversity, equity and inclusion training to all employees actively involved in sexual harassment, sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking investigations.

Gender-Responsive. As part of its sexual harassment process, COCC will demonstrate an ongoing commitment to being gender-responsive by:

• Not assuming to know preferred pronouns, gender identity or sexual orientation of parties involved in a report;
• Not stereotyping traditional gender, sexual orientation, or gender preferences roles or behaviors with undue bias;
• Not attributing blame to a particular gender based on an immediate response to an incident, but will instead make sure both parties are heard and reported accurately;
• Ensuring that both parties are heard and that their perspectives are reported accurately by not attributing blame based on an immediate response to an incident.

Trauma-Informed. As part of its sexual harassment process, COCC will demonstrate an ongoing commitment to employing a trauma-informed approach to investigations by:

• Understanding that the reported incident(s) could have varied impact on individuals given the variety of vicarious, historical, institutional and cultural trauma;
• Understanding, recognizing, and responding to the trauma in a manner appropriate to the individual;
• Understanding that reporting parties may experience the effects of trauma before, during, and after an investigation; and
• Employing communication strategies to support the reporting party through and after the process.