During the 2019 Texas legislative session, Senate Bill 212 was passed into state law. This new law requires all employees of Texas colleges and universities to report incidents of sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, or stalking allegedly committed by or against a student or employee, to the Title IX Coordinator. Under this new law, an employee who fails to report or falsely reports such an incident will also be subject to criminal liability (misdemeanor) and termination of employment.
- The bill requires an employee who witnesses or receives information regarding an incident that the employee reasonably believes constitutes sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, or stalking, and which is alleged to have been committed by or against a person who is a student or employee of the college at the time of the incident, must promptly report the incident to the Title IX Coordinator.
- Student Title IX Coordinator | Urisonya Flunder, Ph.D. | Executive Director of Student Life | uflunder@odessa.edu | 432-335-6338 | Saulsbury Campus Center Room 234
- Employee Title IX Coordinator | Lindsey Bryant | Director of Human Resources | lbryant@odessa.edu | 432-335-6835 | Administration Building Room 104F
- If an employee is required to report and fails to make a report, or with the intent to harm or deceive, knowingly makes a report that is false, then the offense is a Class B misdemeanor; If it is shown at trial that the employee acted with an intent to conceal the incident, then the offense is a Class A misdemeanor.
- The college will be required to terminate an employee whom the college determines, in accordance with the college’s disciplinary procedure, to have committed the offense of failing to report or making a false report to the college.
- The Title IX Coordinator must submit a written report of the reports received by the college, to be submitted quarterly to the President.
- At least once during each fall or spring semester, the President will be required to submit to the Odessa College Board of Trustees, and post on the institution’s website.
- Students who are also employees are strongly encouraged, but not required, to report.
CEO Report under Texas Education Code § 51.253(c)
Effective January 1, 2020, Texas Education Code (TEC), Section 51.253(c) requires an institution or system's Chief's Executive Officer (CEO) submit a report ("CEO Report") at least once during each fall or spring semester to the institution's governing body and post the report on the organization's website. The Texas Higher Education Board (THECB) requires annual certification of compliance for the TEC requirements in October of each year. The CEO Report must contain (1) all reports by employees under the TEC, Section 51.252 that constitutes "sexual harassment," "sexual assault," "dating violence," or "stalking" (as defined in the TEC, Section 51.251), and (2) any disciplinary actions taken under TEC, Section 51.255.