Title IX

What is Title IX?

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 protects individuals from sex discrimination in educational programs and activities at institutions that receive federal financial assistance. Title IX states:

"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." (20 USC 1681).

Reed College is committed to maintaining environments that foster a diverse and inclusive community in which all members can participate free from discrimination on the basis of sex, gender, and gender identity. Reed provides resources to students, faculty, and staff to address concerns relating to discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity, which includes sexual misconduct.

The Title IX Sex-Based Harassment and Discrimination Policy describes prohibited behaviors as well as resources and options available to address them. Reed College will work to prevent prohibited behaviors, to take steps to reduce the risk of their recurrence, and to correct any discriminatory effects on a complainant or others. To this end, all staff and faculty (except medical and counseling staff and the Confidential Advocate) and some student workers who learn of possible cases of sex-based discrimination impacting members of the Reed community are required to notify the Title IX Coordinator when this knowledge is gained. (For more information, scroll down to the section titled “Obligated Reporters” below.)

All members of the community have an obligation to inform themselves about Title IX and DHM policies, in order to recognize and take steps to prevent discrimination, harassment, and misconduct, and to respond effectively if such behavior does occur.

Title IX Coordinator

Christy Martin serves as Reed's Title IX Coordinator and in that role oversees and provides leadership for the activities related to Title IX compliance, training, investigations, enforcement, response, and reporting.

Christy Martin, Title IX  & 504 Coordinator
Eliot Hall 109 | 503-517-7722 | [email protected]

Booking a meeting with Christy Martin 

(Note: If you do not see a meeting time that suits your needs, please send an email with information about your availability and we'll do our best to find an alternate time that works.)

There are also two Title IX Deputy Coordinators at Reed College:

• Deputy Coordinator for Faculty: Kathy Oleson, Dean of the Faculty
  503-777-7257, Eliot Hall 326, [email protected]
• Deputy Coordinator for Staff: Heather Quinn-Barron, Director of Human Resources
  503-777-7705, Eliot Hall 305, [email protected]

The Title IX Coordinator and the Deputy Coordinators can answer questions regarding the process for reporting, investigating, and adjudicating complaints of gender discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other potential Title IX violations. The Title IX Coordinator and Deputy Coordinators are not confidential resources but can direct community members to on- and off-campus confidential resources, as well as to other resources.

If you are in need of disability-related accommodations or have questions about accessibility at any point in engaging in the Title IX process, please contact the Title IX Coordinator ([email protected]).

Title IX Reporting

Reed College encourages all members of the community to notify the Title IX Office of possible violations of the Title IX Policy. (We call this a “report.”)

Reporting carries no obligation to initiate a Complaint (which includes an investigation and hearing), and in the vast majority of situations, the college is able to respect the impacted person’s request not to initiate one. The primary response to a report of possible misconduct is outreach from the Title IX office to the impacted person (referred to as the Complainant in the Title IX world or Survivor in the Advocacy world) to ensure they know they can get support and to help them make informed decisions about how they want to move forward. The Complainant is under no obligation to respond to this outreach. 

It is only in circumstances such as a pattern of behavior, allegations of severe misconduct, or a compelling threat to health and/or safety, where the Title IX Coordinator may need to initiate a Complaint without a Complainant’s request to do so. The Title IX Coordinator is happy to provide more information if concerns about confidentiality are causing someone to hesitate to submit a report.

Supportive Measures

Supportive Measures are services designed to restore or preserve access to education and/or work, protect safety or the educational environment, or provide additional support during grievance procedures. One may receive Supportive Measures with or without a Complaint being made. These services are highly customized and can include things like referrals to counseling, extension of assignment deadlines, safety planning services, or training programs. Interested parties may talk to the Title IX Coordinator or Confidential Advocate to determine what Supportive Measures may be appropriate in their circumstances and have approved Supportive Measures put into place.

Where to Make a Report

Reports of sexual harassment in violation of the Title IX and/or DHSM policies may be made to the Title IX Coordinator, the Title IX Deputy Coordinators, or Community Safety:

• Sexual Misconduct Report (May be submitted anonymously by those who are not Obligated Reporters.)
• Christy Martin, Title IX  & 504 Coordinator
  503-517-7722, [email protected]
• Kathy Oleson - Dean of the Faculty and Deputy Title IX Coordinator for Faculty
  [email protected]
  503-777-7257
  Eliot Hall 326
• Heather Quinn-Barron - Director of Human Resources, Deputy Title IX Coordinator for Staff
  [email protected]
  503-777-7705
  Eliot Hall 305
• Community Safety
  [email protected]
  503-788-6666
  28 West

Reports can be made verbally (in person or by phone) or in writing (in hard copy or electronically - including via the online form).

In the case of a report against a vice president, the Title IX Coordinator, the Director of Human Resources, or the Dean of Faculty, the report may be made to the President.

In the case of a report against the President, the report may be made to the Chairman of the Board of Trustees.

Obligated Reporters

The following list of employees and students must notify the Title IX office when they are made aware of potential violations of the Title IX Policy so that the college can provide proactive outreach to the impacted party(ies) and assess whether any additional action is needed.

• All staff and faculty except confidential medical and counseling staff and the Confidential Advocate
• Student Senate members
• Judicial Board members
• Housing Advisors
• Student workers who supervise other student workers

Basic Elements of a Report

There is no formally required content to make a Title IX report. However, the following elements are important to facilitate appropriate response.

Note: Obligated Reporters are required to provide any of the information they have access to so that the college can do its due diligence in responding to it.

• Name and Reed affiliation (e.g. student, faculty, staff) of the person making the report;
• Name and Reed affiliation of the subjects of the report, i.e. the alleged target of prohibited behavior and the alleged perpetrator of prohibited behavior;
• A brief statement of the event or events which are the cause of the report, including relevant date and location.

Anonymous Reporting

As mentioned above, the Sexual Misconduct Report may be submitted anonymously online (though Obligated Reporters should not submit it anonymously). In instances of anonymous reports, the college’s ability to respond may be limited, but the college will address each report to the greatest extent possible based on the available information.

Confidential Resources

Some employees at Reed have confidential status and are not required to notify the Title IX office when they learn of possible sex-based discrimination or harassment. Access to these confidential staff can give impacted persons a place to explore their rights and resources without fear of disclosure. Confidential staff of Reed College are required to provide information about how to contact the Title IX Coordinator and how to file a complaint when they learn of possible cases of sex-based discrimination or harassment to ensure that survivors are able to make informed decisions about how their next steps.

Confidential resources for students: ​

• Confidential counseling: Employee Assistance Program.
• Call to Safety (off campus third party support): 
  • Local: 503-235-5333
  • Emergency: 888-235-5333

More information on reporting options and confidential resources for students can be found on the Sexual Health, Advocacy & Relationship Education website.

Resolution Options

Informal Resolution

Informal Resolution is a way to resolve sex-based discrimination issues without a Complaint. It may be initiated before or during Complaint grievance procedures and is purely voluntary on both sides. (If one does not want to explore Informal Resolution, it is not an option.) If either party at any point wishes to discontinue the Informal Resolution process, they may do so. Informal Resolution is an option in cases when there is little or no dispute over the facts and both parties believe they can come to a resolution through mediated communication rather than an investigation and hearing. The Title IX Coordinator can provide more information on this option to interested parties.

Formal Complaints

In addition to filing a report with the college, a Complaint may be filed with the Title IX Coordinator. A Complaint is oral or written communication to the college that can be objectively understood as a request for the college to investigate and make a determination about alleged conduct prohibited by the Title IX Policy. This request will initiate the Title IX Sex-Based Harassment & Discrimination Procedures which includes an investigation and hearing. When a Complaint is filed, the Title IX Coordinator will provide notice of the Complaint to the Complainant and Respondent, and will determine next steps. No disciplinary action may be initiated or taken without a Complaint.