Title IX
Title IX Coordinator
Irma Gonzalez
Title IX Coordinator
Associate Dean of Counseling
Phone: (760) 921-5552
Email: irma.gonzalez@paloverde.edu
Location:
Palo Verde College
One College Drive, CS 106
Blythe, CA 92225
Title IX
The Palo Verde Community College District is committed to a safe and equitable learning environment for all students. It does not discriminate on the basis of sex or gender in its educational programs. We encourage students to report any incident, including but not limited to sex discrimination or harassment, rape, dating violence, domestic violence or stalking committed on district property, at a district sponsored event or activity, or off-campus if it has continuing on-campus effects, directly to the Title IX Coordinator.
What is Title IX?
"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."
Examples of the types of conduct that could violate Title IX include, but are not limited to:
- Pressure for sexual activity
- Dating or domestic violence
- Sexual innuendos and comments
- Sexually explicit questions
- Requests for sexual favors
- Unwelcome touching, hugging, stroking, squeezing
- Spreading rumors about a person's sexuality
- Sexual ridicule
- Displaying or sending sexually suggestive electronic content, including but not limited to emails, text messages, etc.
- Pervasive displays of pictures, calendars, cartoons, or other materials with sexually explicit or graphic content
- Stalking a person
- Attempted or actual sexual violence
In order to be prohibited under Title IX, conduct must be based on sex or gender AND it must be severe or pervasive. So, for example, a single sexually explicit question may not constitute conduct prohibited by Title IX, but pervasive sexually explicit questioning probably will. In contrast, a single attempted sexual assault almost certainly will.
What is Consent?
Law defines consent as the affirmative, conscious, and voluntary agreement to engage in sexual activity. Silence, lack of protest, or lack of resistance do not mean consent, nor is the existence of a dating relationship or past sexual relationship by itself an indicator of consent.
Emmeline May authored a very simple, yet useful metaphor that help explains consent using a cup of tea.
If they are unconscious, don't make them tea. Unconscious people can't answer the question, "Do you want tea?" because they are unconscious.
Federal & State Agencies that Oversee Enforcement
- Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department for Education
- U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
- California Department of Fair Employment and Housing
- U.S. Department of Justice
- EEOC Enforcement Guidance on Pregnancy Discrimination and Related Issues
District Policies
For District policies and procedures pertaining to discrimination, harassment, sexual assault, student rights, responsibilities and code of conduct, as well as student discipline, click on the links below:
Nondiscrimination
Prohibition of Harassment
Sexual and Other Assaults on Campus
Community Resources:
- Riverside Area Rape Crisis Center (951) 686-7273
- Available 24/7 SafeHouse; Text to (844) 204-0880 24/7
- National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline: (800) 656-HOPE (4673) Available 24/7
- Blythe Police Department: (760) 922-6111
- Riverside County Sheriff's Department (760) 921-7900
