Know your rights

To receive basic information about services designed to assist you.
To seek, or have sought on your behalf, as soon as possible counseling and medical attention at the Student Health and Wellness Center (for students), through the employee assistance program (for employees), or elsewhere as needed, including at the nearest hospital emergency room.
To report the crime to the Department of Public Safety and/or the Porterville Police Department.
To be informed of the outcome of any disciplinary proceeding held.
To have the option of changing your academic, work, and/ or living situations if so requested and if the changes are reasonably available
To request that the College implement a "no-contact" mandate with the perpetrator.
To not "work it out" with the alleged perpetrator through mediation. Porterville College does not consider mediation to be appropriate in cases involving sexual assault.

You have the right to report the incident to Porterville College, have Porterville College investigate what happened, and have your complaint resolved promptly and equitably.
You have the right to choose to report an incident of sexual violence to College officials and/or local law enforcement. A criminal investigation does not relieve Porterville College of its duty under Title IX to respond promptly and effectively to a complaint of sexual harassment or sexual violence. DPS will assist victims in facilitating a report to the police, should they choose to do so.
Porterville College has published policies and procedures prohibiting sexual misconduct and for reporting complaints of sex discrimination, including sexual violence.

During the investigation and prior to the final determination, the College may take appropriate interim measures to protect the parties involved. Interim measures can be requested by any involved party, or can be imposed by the College. Such measures may include changes to academic, living, or working situations, regardless of whether the victim chooses to report the crime to law enforcement.

Retaliation against someone who files a complaint or who participates in an investigation is strictly prohibited by College policy and by law.
You have the right to report any retaliation by College employees, the alleged perpetrator, and/or other students. Porterville College will take strong responsive action if retaliation occurs.
The College will provide students and employees with written notification of victim services that are available within the institution and the community.

Confidential Support Services

Both parties have the right to be notified of the timeframes for all major stages of the investigation.
Both parties have the right to present witnesses and evidence.
Both parties have the right to be accompanied at all hearings and meetings by an advisor of their choice.
Porterville College must resolve your complaint based on what College officials believe is more likely than not to have happened based upon an investigation (this is called a preponderance-of-the-evidence standard of proof). Porterville College will not use a higher standard of proof.
You have the right to be notified in writing of the outcome of your complaint and any appeal, including any sanctions that directly relate to you.
The appeal process is equally available for both parties.
You have the right to review any proceedings documented, which may include written findings of fact, transcripts, or audio recordings.

If an investigation reveals that sexual harassment/sexual violence created a hostile environment, Porterville College must take prompt and effective steps reasonably calculated to end the sexual harassment/sexual violence, eliminate the hostile environment, prevent its recurrence, and, as appropriate, remedy its effects.
Appropriate remedies will generally include disciplinary action against the perpetrator, but may also include remedies to help you get your education and/or professional situation back on track (e.g., academic support, retaking a class without penalty, changing working location or conditions, and counseling). These remedies are in addition to any interim measures you received.
Porterville College may also determine that it's most appropriate to provide remedies for the broader student or employee population (such as training) or change its services or policies to prevent such incidents from repeating.

Consider seeking medical attention as soon as possible at a local hospital after an incident of sexual assault, dating violence, or domestic violence. If victims of sexual assault do not opt for forensic evidence collection, health care providers can still treat injuries and take steps to address concerns of pregnancy and/or sexually transmitted infections.
Preserve evidence that may assist investigators during the course of a criminal investigation to prove that the criminal offense occurred, or is occurring. It is important that a victim of sexual assault not bathe, douche, smoke, change clothing, or clean the bed/linen/area where they were assaulted if the offense occurred within the past 96 hours. This evidence may be helpful in obtaining a protection order.
Save text messages, instant messages, social networking pages, other communications as evidence; and keep pictures, logs, or copies of documents if they have any that could be useful to College adjudicators/investigators or local police.