Mandated Reporters Information

A "Mandated Reporter" means an employee of the College who has the authority to take action to redress sexual harassment or provide supportive measures to students or who has the duty to report sexual harassment to an appropriate school official who has that authority.

Some schools use the term "Required Reporter" or "Responsible Employee." These are sometimes synonymous - however, check with the SMC Title IX Coordinator if you have questions coming from another institution to Saint Mary's College.

"Mandated Reporter" is also used under the California's Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act (CANRA). If your duties as an employee of Saint Mary's College bring you into contact with children on a regular basis, or if you supervise staff whose duties bring them into contact with children on a regular basis, or if you are designated to receive complaints of discrimination (HR, Academic Deans, Title IX, SDS) you are a "Mandatory Reporter" under CANRA. See more below for CANRA-related reporting duties.

ALL employees, that are not confidential, are required to inform the Title IX Support and Compliance Office of any report of sex-based discrimination, sexual harassment, or sexual violence they receive from anyone affiliated with the College (including visitors and guests). 

The only confidential resources Saint Mary's College has on-campus are:

1) The clinicians at Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), when acting in a counselor capacity

2) Megan Gallagher, Director of the CARE (Campus Assault, Response, and Education) Center - for students only

3) Ordained Clergy acting within the scope of their ordination

If you are not one of the above, you are a Mandated Reporter.

The above-listed persons will maintain confidentiality when acting under the scope of their licensure, professional ethics, and/or professional credentials, except in extreme cases of immediacy of threat or danger, or abuse of a minor/elder/person with a disability, or when required to disclose by law or court order.

Acting in the scope means, for example, if a CAPS clinician teaches an academic course - as the professor of the course they are not confidential, and any shared disclosures or knowledge of sexual harassment or sexual violence learned in their role as the professor must be shared with the Title IX Support and Compliance Office.

As a Mandated Reporter, you must contact the Title IX Support and Compliance Office (the Title IX Coordinator or a Liaison) as soon as possible when you learn of an incident of sex-based discrimination or harassment or sexual misconduct, ideally no more than 24 hours from learning of the situation.

You should report even if you are unsure that the incident actually occurred, or are unsure whether it constitutes sex-based discrimination, sexual harassment, or sexual violence. 

You should not investigate the report, and should not try to resolve the issue.

1) The Title IX Coordinator:

Jess Varga (she/her)
Direct Phone: (925) 631-4055
Direct Email: jev7@dos5.net
Mailing Address: 1928 St Mary's Rd, Dante 112, Moraga, CA 94575
Campus Office Location: Dante 112

OR

2) A Liaison:

Travis Mason (he/him) - for student-related
Associate Dean of Students and Director of Community Life
(925) 631-4238
tlm12@dos5.net

Angela Alley-Street (she/her) - for employee-related
Director of Employee Relations, Leadership, and Development
(925) 631-4910
aas32@dos5.net

Kami Gray (she/her) - for Athletics-related
AD for Internal Operations and Senior Women's Administrator
(925) 631-4521
kgray@dos5.net

OR

3) Online: Reporting Form

You must share all the information you have related to the situation, including, but not limited to:

• names of any individuals involved* 
• contact information of involved persons (if/when known)
• any details of the incident you have (date, time, location, behavior(s) involved)

* Never tell someone you can share the information without providing their name. See below for suggestions on how to inform someone you are a Mandated Reporter and what you have to do and share.

All incoming reports will be reviewed by the Title IX Coordinator to determine the appropriate office(s) for response. If the behavior being reported does not fall within the scope of Title IX, the matter will be referred to the Office of Community Life for matters involving students, or Human Resources for matters involving employees or contractors/vendors.

When the Sex-Based Discrimination and Harassment, Sexual Misconduct, and Retaliation Policy may apply, the Title IX Coordinator, or a Liaison, will reach out to the person who is experiencing/experienced the sexual harassment or sexual violence (when known) and offer resources and information on the responsive options the College has.

You should not discuss what you have reported, or even that you have reported, with any other person who does not have a legitimate need to know.

For example, you may share with your supervisor that you needed to report, especially if/when personal support is needed after reporting, but refrain from sharing the details of the specific report (e.g., names).

Another example, if there is an imminent situation needing response from Campus Safety, we would expect that you share all known details with the responding officers to aid in the situation.

All efforts should be taken to maintain the privacy of the persons involved and details of the matter.

As a Mandated Reporter, you are unable to keep the anonymity of the person who discloses (or is known to you). If someone requests to speak to you confidentially, or asks you not to share their name, you can say something like:

"I want to help and can be here to listen, but I want to remind you that I am required to report any incidences of sexual harassment or sexual violence to the Title IX Support & Compliance Office here at the College. I do this because it is my obligation, but more importantly, because I want to be sure that you are kept safe and informed of the resources and your rights and options. The Title IX Coordinator, or a liaison, will reach out to you via email and you can decide whether you want to meet with them."

You should also remind them about the confidential resources, for example:

"If you would like to talk to someone confidentially, the CARE Center Director and CAPS are confidential resources that I can refer you to. If you decide to share with me, I will do my best to help you and will keep what you say private, only sharing the details with the Title IX office (and my supervisor without sharing the details) to ensure you get the support you need."

Yes AND when it doubt - Report it!

You can always contact the Title IX Coordinator to do a consultation on whether or not you have something you need to report. You can share the situation (without names/location) and the Title IX Coordinator will tell you if what you are sharing does fall within the scope of what needs to be reported. At that time you will be asked to provide any identifying information known and further details. If the situation is not within the scope of Title IX's response, you may be referred to another office to get assistance to ensure there are not other policies requiring your reporting, and also to support you.

Reporting sooner rather than later is important though - as it allows for immediate assessment of physical and emotional safety of those involved and the campus community. 

Sharing the name(s) of involved persons does not inhibit or limit the person who has been experiencing/experienced the behavior (commonly referred to as the 'victim,' and is known as the 'complainant' in our process) from choosing what they do next.

You do not need to be certain that a situation constitutes sex-based discrimination, sexual harassment, or sexual misconduct. 

You should not determine on your own whether or not something constitutes a behavior related to Title IX.

You also should not make any substantive decisions about a situation or the responsibility of any person alleged.

There are specific processes and rights of the persons involved that must be followed to ensure we, as a College, are responding in a timely, equitable, and impartial manner. This includes steps to ensure the safety of those involved and the larger campus community.

You should wait for communication from the Title IX Coordinator (or designee) before taking any action to investigate, resolve, or remediate any situation.

As a Mandated Reporter, you may have to share information that includes sensitive and sometimes explicit information. This can be impactful and the Title IX Coordinator is always available to refer you to resources and supports following fulfilling your reporting obligations. The Title IX Support & Compliance Office and Human Resources can work with you to ensure you have continued support through our campus offices as well as off-campus resources.

Saint Mary's College has two behavioral health partners to support employees with personal and/or work-related needs. Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) can help you and your family with personal challenges or concerns at no cost, including confidential* counseling. 

Our primary program is with Claremont: 

Phone: 800-834-3773

Website: http://www.claremonteap.com/ (Company Name to Register: Saint Mary's College

SMC link: http://mybenefits.cc/saintmarys24/benefits/eap-claremont/

* What you share with any representatives at either of these programs will not generate a report of information to the College or the Title IX Coordinator (without your permission). Please note, these resources may not have specific information about Saint Mary's College's policies and/or procedures.

For questions or concerns related to your work performance or environment, please reach out to discuss supportive measures. We may be able to provide on-campus support to support you - however, this is not confidential, it will be private but may require sharing with need-to-know persons or offices to implement support. Prior to implementing any support, this will be discussed with you.

• Jess Varga, Title IX Coordinator
  • jev7@dos5.net
  • 925-631-4055
  • Dante 112
• Angela Street, Human Resources & Deputy Title IX Coordinator
  • aaa32@dos5.net
  • 925-631-4910
  • Filippi Admin Hall, Garden Level
• Rosa Linda Tejada, Senior Benefits Manager
  • rt5@dos5.net
  • 925-631-4216
  • Filippi Admin Hall, Garden Level
  • For questions related to using your employee benefits, such as EAP
• Your supervisor (as comfort and circumstances permit)

Non-Discrimination Statement:

Saint Mary’s College is committed to complying with Title IX, a federal law that prohibits discrimination, including harassment and violence, based on sex. This means that SMC’s educational programs and activities must be free from sex discrimination, sexual harassment, and other forms of sexual misconduct. If you or someone you know has experienced these behaviors, you are encouraged to report the conduct to SMC’s Title IX Coordinator, Jess Varga at jev7@dos5.net or online at http://afv.dos5.net/about/title-ix/report-incident. 

Mandated Reporter Statement:

As the instructor for this course, I have a mandated duty to report to the college any information I receive about possible sex-based discrimination, sex-based harassment, and sexual misconduct. This includes information shared in class discussions or assignments, as well as information shared in conversations outside of class. The purpose of reporting is to allow SMC to take steps to ensure a safe learning environment for all. The college also has confidential resources available, who can provide assistance to those who have experienced sexual misconduct without initiating a mandatory reporting duty. Confidential resources include: Counselors at CAPS and Megan Gallagher (Director of CARE Center).