Angelina College is committed to providing and maintaining an educational and working environment that is free from sexual harassment or sexual discrimination to all segments of its community; its faculty, staff, students, guests and vendors; and will respond promptly and effectively when it learns of any form of possible discrimination based on sex to include sexual harassment, sexual assault, domestic violence, stalking and retaliation in accordance with applicable federal and state laws.
Members of the Angelina College community, students, employees, and guests have the right to be free from discrimination and sexual harassment, including sexual assault. All members of the campus community are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that does not infringe upon the rights of others. The College believes in a zero- tolerance policy for gender-based misconduct. When an allegation of misconduct is brought to an appropriate administrator’s attention, and a respondent is found to have violated this policy, sanctions will be used to reasonably ensure that such actions are never repeated.
Whether you are a student, faculty, staff member, or visitor, you have the right to file a complaint. Complaints or reports of sexual misconduct should be submitted to the Angelina College Title IX Coordinator. In an emergency, please call the Angelina College Police Department, (936) 676-2563, 911, or the Lufkin Police Department at (936) 633-0357.
For more information, please visit: https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/tix_dis.html
Tifini Whiddon, Director of Human Resources
3500 S. First St., Lufkin, Texas. 75901
Student Center Building, Room 206B
(936) 6o33-4511
twhiddon@angelina.edu
Title IX is a federal civil rights law passed as part of the Education Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. 1681 et. seq.) This law protects individuals from discrimination based on sex in any educational program or activity operated by recipients of federal funds. Title IX states that:
“No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”
Complaints of sexual harassment will be promptly investigated and resolved. Any person may make a verbal or written report of sex discrimination by contacting the Title IX Coordinator or any college administrator. Also, reports of an incidence can be made by using the online reporting form on the Angelina College website. Students may also contact the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights (800-421-3481) to complain of sex discrimination or sexual harassment including sexual violence.
During the 2019 Texas legislative session, Senate Bill 212 was passed into state law. This new law requires all College employees to report sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking to the Title IX Coordinator. An employee who fails to report an incident may be subject to criminal offense (misdemeanor) and the College is required to terminate their employment.
Title IX regulations recognize that sexual harassment, including sexual assault, is unlawful sex discrimination. Sexual harassment, sexual assault, domestic violence, or stalking is a form of sex discrimination and is, therefore, prohibited under Title IX. The Final Rule, SB 212, defines sexual harassment broadly to include any of the three types of misconduct on the basis of sex, all of which jeopardize the equal access to education that Title IX protects: any instance of quid pro quo harassment by a school’s employee; any unwelcome conduct that denies a person equal access to the school’s education program or activity; and any instance of sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, or stalking.
In the employment context, sexual harassment means unwelcome, sex-based verbal or physical conduct that unreasonably interferes with a person’s work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment. In the education context, sexual harassment is sufficiently severe, persistent, or pervasive that the conduct interferes with a student’s ability to participate in or benefit from educational programs or activities.