If you are a Responsible Employee and you receive a disclosure that a student or employee has experienced sexual harassment or sexual violence (assault, dating violence, domestic violence, stalking, or sexual exploitation) or you reasonably anticipate that you will receive such a disclosure, let the individual know as soon as possible that you are a Responsible Employee and will have to share their report with the Title IX Office. As soon as you receive a disclosure, you are obligated to share their name, and any details they shared with you, with the Title IX office.

If you think someone is about to disclose a concern, you may say something like, “I think you may be about to share something personal with me regarding sexual harassment or sexual violence. I want to support you in any way that I can, but I need you to know that I am required by law and by UWM policy to report anything you tell me to the Title IX Office. If you want to speak with someone who does not have to report what you say, I can help connect you with a Confidential Resource, like the UWM Victim/Survivor Advocate or University Counseling Services.”

• If someone continues sharing after your disclosure:

  If a student or employee decides to continue to tell you details after you have disclosed your reporting obligations, you may listen and support them to the extent you feel comfortable. You must then make a report to the Title IX office.

• If someone requests you do not make a formal report:

  You are required to make a formal report to the Title IX office so that we may address institutional issues of sexual misconduct within the university. Ensure the person understands that, as a Responsible Employee, you do not have a choice of whether to report, and remind them that they can talk about their reporting options confidentially with a Confidential Resource.

• If you’re not sure whether the conduct is sexual misconduct:

  You do not need to make this determination. Simply share the information you’ve received with the Title IX Office. Investigators will do the work of determining whether the reported behavior qualifies as sexual misconduct.

Note: All employees who witness or receive a report of sexual assault of a student—whether you are a Responsible Employee, a Confidential Resource, or do not fall in either category—must report de-identified statistics to the Title IX Office in accordance with state law [Wis. Stats, sec. 36.11(22)] and our university policies.