Things To Remember

Sexual assault includes any unwanted, nonconsensual sexual act in which a person is threatened, coerced or forced to comply against their will – or the person is unable to give consent because they are a minor, unconscious, asleep or incapacitated due to drugs or alcohol.

No means no. If you communicate that you don’t want to continue, even in the middle of a sex act, the other person must stop. Any sexual act after consent has been revoked is considered assault.

Things You Can Do

If you are sexually assaulted or if you experience sex- or gender-based harassment or violence, please consider these suggestions.

Make sure you are safe

Go to a safe place and speak with someone you trust. Tell this person what happened. If there is any immediate danger, contact the campus police if you are on campus, or call 911 if you are off campus.

Get support or guidance

If you are on campus during regular business hours, you may go to the Student Health Services office or the college Mental Health and Wellness Center for support and guidance. These are both confidential resources.

You may also seek other professional support, such as counseling, victim advocacy or medical assistance. See the Title IX contacts webpage for suggested resources.

Seek medical attention

For your safety and well-being, we encourage you to seek immediate medical attention. It’s important to be examined as soon as possible, ideally within 72 hours, after a rape or sexual assault.

Specially trained nurse examiners can perform an evidentiary examination at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center (VMC). For more information about the evidentiary exam and its purpose, please contact the VMC Sexual Assault Response Team at 408.885.6466​.

Preserve any evidence

If you can, try to follow these suggestions to preserve evidence

  • It is recommended that you do not bathe, shower, douche, eat, drink, smoke, brush your teeth, urinate, defecate or change clothes before receiving medical attention. If you have already done any of these things, you should still seek prompt medical care, as evidence may still be recoverable. 
  • Typically, if police are involved, they will obtain evidence from the scene of the incident. Try to leave things undisturbed until their arrival. They will gather bedding, linens or unlaundered clothing, and any other pertinent items that may be used for evidence. It is best to let the police secure items in evidence containers, but if you are involved in transporting items of evidence, such as when going to the hospital, secure them in a clean paper bag or clean bedsheet to avoid contamination. 
  • If you have physical injuries, photograph or have them photographed, with a date stamp on the photo.
  • Record the names of any witnesses and their contact information. This information may be helpful as proof of a crime, to obtain an order of protection, or to offer proof of a campus policy violation.
  • Try to memorize details such as a physical description, names, license plate number or a car description. Even better, if you are able to do so, write down notes to remind yourself of details.

Consider contacting police

If you haven’t already contacted the police, consider filing a report about what happened.

  • You may file a report directly with the Foothill-De Anza district police or another agency if the incident is under its jurisdiction, or the district police can assist you in reporting to the relevant agency.
  • If requested, other campus officials can facilitate reporting to the police.
  • Visit deanza.edu/police for information on contacting the Foothill-De Anza district police. 

Consider a Title IX complaint

The Title IX complaints webpage has more information about your options under this law. If you'd like to pursue an informal complaint or a formal grievance, or simply get more information, contact the college Title IX coordinator.

The Title IX coordinator may notify the Foothill-De Anza district police about incidents of sex- or gender-based discrimination, harassment or violence. The coordinator typically will not tell police the identities of people involved, unless required under emergency circumstances or unless the person who was subject to the unwanted conduct asks for the information to be shared with police. 

Find long term support

Even after the immediate crisis has passed, consider seeking support from De Anza College’s Mental Health and Wellness Center or the YWCA of Silicon Valley Rape Crisis Center. 

If you get a court order 

If you obtain external orders of protection (such as a restraining order, injunction or order of protection from abuse), please notify the Foothill-De Anza district police or the campus Title IX coordinator, so those orders can be observed on campus.

You can also contact the Title IX coordinator if you need assistance with no-contact orders, other supportive measures or De Anza College policy concerns. 

The Title IX coordinator will assist, if needed, in advocating for students who wish to obtain protective or restraining orders from local authorities.  

Supportive Measures

De Anza College will offer and implement appropriate and reasonable supportive measures to the parties upon notice of alleged harassment, discrimination, and/or retaliation. Supportive measures are non-disciplinary, non-punitive individualized services offered as appropriate and as reasonably available. They are offered without fee or charge to the parties to restore or preserve access to the College’s education program or activity, including measures designed to protect the safety of all parties and/or the College’s educational environment, and/or to deter harassment, discrimination, and/or retaliation.

The Title IX Coordinator promptly makes supportive measures available to the parties upon receiving notice or a complaint and will maintain the confidentiality of the supportive measures, provided that confidentiality does not impair the College’s ability to provide those supportive measures. The College will act to ensure as minimal an academic impact on the parties as possible. The College will implement measures in a way that does not unreasonably burden the other party.

These actions may include, but are not limited to:

  • Referral to counseling, medical, and/or other healthcare services
  • Referral to community-based service providers
  • Student financial aid counseling
  • Education to the institutional community or community subgroup(s)
  • Altering work arrangements for employees or student-employees
  • Safety planning
  • Providing campus safety escorts
  • Implementing contact limitations (no contact orders) between the parties
  • Academic support, extensions of deadlines, or other course/program-related adjustments
  • Trespass, Persona Non Grata (PNG), or Be-On-the-Lookout (BOLO) orders
  • Timely warnings
  • Class schedule modifications, withdrawals, or leaves of absence
  • Increased security and monitoring of certain areas of the campus
  • Any other actions deemed appropriate by the Title IX Coordinator

 


 

Meeting with the Title IX Coordinator

Please review the relevant materials for your upcoming meeting:


  • Submit a Formal Title IX Complaint
  • Adviser Designation - web form, pdf form

    (Please note: Providing a materially false statement in bad faith in the course of the grievance process may be considered a violation of Student Code of Conduct AP 5510.1)
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