You Have Options

Where to Make a Report

An individual (including a third party) may report a Title IX violation to the Title IX Coordinator, a Deputy Title IX Coordinator, the Dean of Students, or the Department of Public Safety.  The Deputy Title IX Coordinators, Dean of Students, and Department of Public Safety will notify the Title IX Coordinator of any reports.  The following is the contact information for those individuals:

Title IX Coordinator
Lou Mejia
308 McMahon Hall
tel. 202-319-6104
mejial@cua.edu

Dean of Students
Jonathan Sawyer
Pryzbyla Center, Suite 353
tel.  202-319-5619
sawyerj@cua.edu 

Department of Public Safety
121 Leahy Hall
tel. 202-319-5111 (staffed 24/7)

Deputy Title IX Coordinators

Kim Gregory
Department of Public Safety
271 Leahy Hall
tel. 202-319-6062
gregoryk@cua.edu 

Amy Love
Dean of Students Office
Pryzbyla Center, Suite 353
tel.  202-319-5619
lovea@cua.edu 

Heidi Zeich
Dean of Students Office
Pryzbyla Center, Suite 353
tel.  202-319-5619
zeich@cua.edu 

Amy Kerr
Dean of Students Office
Pryzbyla Center, Suite 353
tel.  202-319-5619
kerra@cua.edu 

Kathryn Jennings
Dean of Students Office
Pryzbyla Center, Suite 353
tel.  202-319-5619
jenningsk@cua.edu  

You can also make a report directly to the local police, the Metropolitan Police Department, and DPS can assist with this process: 202-727-9099.

What can you expect when you report?

  • Your information will remain private and will only be shared with those who absolutely need to know.
  • You will be connected to a trained resource person in the Office of the Dean of Students to to help you navigate support services and offer options for moving forward.
  • You will be connected to a trained resource person in the Office of the Dean of Students to to help you navigate support services and offer options for moving forward.
  • Reporting an assault does not automatically trigger an investigation except in rare situations where a perpetrator is a threat to the community, such as when the University received a previous report that the same person assaulted someone else. In those cases, the University has an obligation to investigate, but you are not required to be a part of the process.

Amnesty

Catholic University cares about you and wants to remove all barriers to reporting. If you report and incident of sexual violence but were involved in a lesser policy violation (like underage drinking or visitation) you will receive amnesty and won't get in trouble as long at that behavior didn't cause harm to others.

Requesting no investigation or disciplinary action

If you disclose an incident to an employee, but would like to request confidentiality or that no investigation or conduct process is pursued, the Title IX Coordinator will weigh this request against the University's obligation to provide a safe environment for all students.

Requesting informal resolution

After the complaint has been filed, the Title IX Coordinator may offer the parties informal resolution options such as mediation, restorative justice, or arbitration.  Informal resolution may resolve the formal complaint without the need for an investigation or adjudication and may result in disciplinary measures  for the respondent.  The University will obtain the parties’ voluntary, written consent to the informal resolution process and will not require waiver of an investigation and adjudication as a condition of enrollment or continuing enrollment, or employment or continuing employment, or enjoyment of any other right.  Informal resolution will not be used if the complainant is a student and the respondent was acting as a University employee at the time of the alleged violation.  If the parties enter informal resolution, either party may withdraw and resume the formal process at any time before a resolution agreement is signed. Informal resolution is confidential, and statements made in an informal resolution process may not be used in the formal resolution process.  Furthermore, individuals who facilitate informal resolution may not be called as fact witnesses at a hearing.  If a complaint is resolved informally, the Title IX Coordinator will close the case, which cannot be re-opened unless the terms of the agreement are violated or new compelling evidence is discovered. 

Where to File a Complaint

To file a University complaint, you can contact:

  • The Department of Public Safety,
  • The Dean of Students, or
  • The University's Title IX Coordinator.

You can also file a criminal complaint with the local police, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). DPS can assist you with this process and you can pursue both a university and MPD complaint simultaneously.

What can you expect when you file a complaint?

  • The University will take your complaint seriously.
  • The University will conduct an investigation.
  • If the case is referred to the University disciplinary process, there are many options that are available.
  • A Dean of Students staff member can help you navigate this process.

If you do not wish to file a complaint, you can still meet with a member of the Dean of Students Office for support. Staff members can help you access services like academic support, class schedule changes, housing relocation, and issue orders of no contact.

For more information, visit the Grievance Procedures.