Responsible Employee Policy

All Berklee employees (including staff, administrators, faculty, and resident assistants)—with a few limited exceptions—are considered “responsible employees” under this policy. Responsible employees are required to promptly report allegations of sexual misconduct (sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking) and identity-based discrimination or harassment that they observe or learn about to Sarah Onori, assistant vice president for equity and Title IX /Title IX coordinator, sonori@berklee.edu immediately upon receipt of the information or allegation, but not later than 24 hours after.

Limited Exceptions to the Policy:

Employees designated as confidential resources are exempt from this policy, which includes licensed mental health clinicians in Counseling Services who have been hired in that professional capacity at Berklee, the survivor advocate, and any individual designated as a confidential resource provider.

All student employees (not including resident assistants) are required to report any allegation(s) that they receive or observe while serving in their capacity as an employee.

Guidelines:

Information that must be reported to the assistant vice president of equity and Title IX/Title IX coordinator (if known to the responsible employee) includes, but is not limited to:

  • Name of the complainant(s), the respondent(s), and relevant witnesses
  • Any other relevant information, including the date, time, specific location, and details of the alleged incident.

Reporting to the assistant vice president/Title IX coordinator does not obligate the complainant to participate in a formal investigation or file a formal report with the police. Such reporting will ensure timely support for all involved parties regarding resources and resolution options and enable an effective and consistent response from Berklee.

Responsible employees who knew about but did not report allegations of misconduct may be subject to disciplinary action.

Note, however, that responsible employees are not required to report the following types of disclosures of misconduct unless the complainant clearly indicates that they desire a report to be made or are seeking a specific remedy from Berklee. In limited circumstances, responsible employees are required to report the following types of disclosures that indicate an imminent and serious threat to the health or safety of any individual.

  • Public forums (e.g. vigils, marches)
  • Public awareness events, including programmed events during Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM) and Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM)

Additionally, responsible employees are not required to self-report alleged incident(s) of misconduct that they experienced personally but are encouraged to report misconduct to the assistant vice president of equity and Title IX/Title IX coordinator or seek support from confidential resources.

Privacy:

Upon being notified of the allegation of misconduct, responsible employees will maintain the privacy of the information, meaning they will only share it with the assistant vice president of equity and Title IX/Title IX coordinator and other employees with a need to know in order to assist in the assessment, investigation, and resolution of the reported incident.