Combating Sexual Assault and Other Unwelcome Behavior
Every member of the Brooklyn College community, including students, employees, and visitors, deserves the opportunity to live, learn, and work free from sexual harassment, gender-based harassment, and sexual violence.
Sexual harassment is unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature—such as unwelcome advances and requests for sexual favors. Gender-based harassment is unwelcome conduct of a nonsexual nature based on an individual's actual or perceived gender, including conduct based on gender identity, gender expression, or nonconformity with gender stereotypes. Sexual violence is rape or attempted rape, forcible touching, or sexual abuse.
Brooklyn College encourages individuals who have experienced sexual harassment, gender-based harassment, or sexual violence to report the incident(s) to campus authorities, even if they have reported it to outside law enforcement and regardless of whether the incident(s) occurred on campus. Investigations of sexual harassment are conducted fairly, promptly, thoroughly, and as confidently as possible under the circumstances. After the investigation, if a complaint is found to be true, appropriate action can include formal disciplinary action, including termination of employment, and suspension or expulsion of students. The college may also be able to provide victims of sexual harassment with special accommodations to help them make it through their class or work assignments.
How to Report a Sexual Assault or Domestic Violence
If the Incident Occurred On Campus
Call the Office of Public Safety (718.951.5511) or 911. (You can dial 911 on any college phone and be automatically connected to the Office of Campus and Community Safety Services.) The Office of Public Safety will inform the Title IX coordinator about any incident involving discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual assault, stalking, domestic violence, dating violence, or voyeurism.
- Location: 0202 Ingersoll Hall (basement)
If the Incident Occurred Off Campus
Call 911 or go to the local NYPD precinct. Contacting the police does not require you to file charges.
Additional Steps
- Seek medical attention as soon as possible. Campus Public Safety or the police can help you get medical care or you can go on your own (or with a friend) to an emergency room.
- Preserve evidence. You do not need to decide immediately whether to take action against the person who assaulted you. But if you might want to do this, it is important to preserve evidence of the assault. Go to an emergency room and ask for a SAFE or rape exam. (Do not bathe or brush your teeth prior to going.) New York State Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner (SAFE)–Designated Hospital Programs provide specialized care to sexual assault patients. To see which New York hospitals are SAFE-designated, click the "SAFE-Designated Hospitals" drop-down button on the New York State Department of Health SAFE Program website or call the New York State Hotline for Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence at 800.942.6906. Retain the clothing you were wearing in a paper (not plastic) bag. If the assault took place in your home or dorm room, do not rearrange furniture and/or clean up.
We also encourage you to contact the Title IX coordinator, Michelle Vargas.
Location: 2147 Boylan Hall
E: MVargas@brooklyn.cuny.edu
P: 718.951.4128
Additional Resources
- Title IX @ CUNY: Combating Sexual Assault and Other Unwelcome Sexual Behavior
- Sexual Misconduct Community Resource Guide (pdf)—This document contains a list of New York–based hotlines and legal, personal counseling and safety planning services for individuals involved in sexual misconduct, and dating or intimate partner violence situations.
- Comprehensive List of Resources On-Campus and Beyond (pdf)—This document contains a list of resources regarding health (physical and mental), insurance, academics, technology, employment, job resources, targeted populations (service workers, trans individuals, and artists), immigration, culture, parents, children, and educators.
