Penn encourages members of our community to bring their concerns forward so they can receive the support they need, and their concerns can be addressed by the University.
A disclosure occurs when someone tells another person that they, or a third party, were impacted by sexual misconduct.
At Penn, when a person makes a disclosure to a designated Confidential Resource Office, the Disclosure is confidential and does not result in a report to the AVP-Title IX Office, unless the disclosing person chooses to make a report.
A report is a disclosure that is shared with the Office of the AVP for Equity and Title IX Officer (AVP-Title IX Officer).
Once the AVP-Title IX Officer receives a report, they will connect the impacted party with resources and support and provide information to the impacted party about options available to them to address the behavior. If the behavior falls under the jurisdiction of Penn’s Sexual Misconduct Policy, the impacted party will have the option to file a formal complaint. If the behavior falls under another policy at Penn, the AVP-Title IX Officer, or their designee, will provide appropriate referrals to the impacted party for those processes.
A written document memorializing the allegations of the impacted party (Complainant) against the alleged actor(s) (Respondent) under the University’s Sexual Misconduct Policy.
A complaint may lead to a formal investigation or a non-investigative (alternative) resolution.