How to Report a Title IX Complaint on Campus

Step 1: Decide who to talk to first

You do not have to file a formal complaint right away. Start with whoever feels safest.

• A confidential resource, like a counselor or medical provider, if you want to talk without triggering a school investigation

• Your school's Title IX coordinator, if you want the school to act

• RAINN's National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-4673 or rainn.org/online , if you want outside support while you decide

Most faculty and staff count as "responsible employees" required to pass reports to the Title IX coordinator, so a report to a professor or RA usually starts the same process as a direct report to the coordinator.

Step 2: Find your Title IX coordinator

Every school that receives federal funding designates a Title IX coordinator and publishes their contact information. Search your school's name plus "Title IX coordinator" or check the dean of students office page. The listing usually includes an email, phone number, and often an online reporting form you can submit without an in-person meeting.

Step 3: Make the report

Reports can be made verbally, in writing, or through an online portal. Include what happened, when, where, and who was involved, as much as you remember. You do not need every detail to start the process. The coordinator's first job is explaining your options, not pressuring you into a specific path.

Step 4: Ask for interim measures

While a case stays open, you can request changes that do not depend on the investigation's outcome, including:

• A no-contact order between you and the other party

• A class schedule or section change

• A housing reassignment

• Academic accommodations, like extended deadlines, while you deal with the aftermath

• Campus escort services or adjusted work schedules for student employees

Ask for these directly. Coordinators do not always offer them without a request.

Step 5: The formal complaint and investigation

A formal complaint triggers a written investigation. Under current federal rules, both parties receive written notice of the allegations, equal access to evidence gathered, and the right to an advisor. Colleges hold a live hearing where each side's advisor cross-examines the other party and witnesses. You are not required to question the other person yourself.

Timelines vary by school, but most publish an expected timeframe, commonly 60 to 90 days, in their Title IX policy. Ask the coordinator for your school's specific timeline in writing.

Step 6: The outcome and appeal

After the hearing, a decision-maker issues a written determination based only on evidence tested through cross-examination. Both parties can typically appeal on limited grounds, such as new evidence or a procedural error that affected the outcome. Ask about your school's specific appeal deadline, since it tends to be short, often 5 to 10 business days.

If you are not satisfied with how the school handled it

File a complaint with the Department of Education Office for Civil Rights , which investigates whether the school itself violated Title IX in how it handled your case. This process runs separately from your school's own process and does not replace it.

If the other party is a professor, coach, or staff member

The same reporting process applies when the person you report holds a position of authority over you, though the school may bring in an outside investigator to avoid a conflict of interest. Ask the Title IX coordinator directly how they handle cases involving an employee, since some schools route these through human resources in addition to the Title IX office.

Anonymous reports

Some schools accept anonymous reports through their online portal. An anonymous report can trigger a general safety response, like a timely warning to the community, but it limits how far an individual investigation can go, since the school cannot follow up with you for more information. A named report gives the process more to work with if you want the school to act against a specific person.

Evidence that helps your case

Save texts, emails, photos, and any other records connected to the incident before you report, since some platforms delete old messages automatically. Write down the names of anyone who saw or heard something relevant, along with contact information, while your memory of the encounter stays fresh.

Retaliation protections while your case is open

Your school cannot punish you academically, socially, or professionally for filing a report or participating in an investigation as a witness. If you notice retaliation, whether from the other party, their friends, or a professor, report it to the Title IX coordinator right away as a separate issue from your original complaint.

Support while the process plays out

An investigation can take months. Keep using your confidential resources, campus counseling or an outside advocate, throughout the process rather than saving support for after a decision comes down. You can also bring a support person to meetings with the Title IX office in addition to your formal advisor at the hearing, if your school's policy allows it, so ask the coordinator directly.