AMDA is committed to providing an academic environment free from sex discrimination, where all members of the school community are treated with respect and dignity. Sex discrimination includes both sexual and gender based harassment and violence. All members of the AMDA community, including students, employees, and third parties, are protected under this policy. Further, the policy applies to both on and off campus conduct with a reasonable connection to the AMDA educational sphere.
Title IX
AMDA does not tolerate sexual assault, harassment or discrimination in any form, nor does it tolerate threats to others' health, safety or welfare. AMDA's priority is enforcing these policies in order to protect members of our campus community. Additionally, AMDA offers support to any student who survives a sexual assault that occurs within the context of the school community to enable them to continue pursuing their academic and career goals. Sex-related crimes (including but not limited to sexual assault and rape) represent violations of criminal and civil law, and constitute a serious and unacceptable breach of student conduct. Any report of sexual assault, harassment or discrimination is taken with the utmost of seriousness. AMDA does not tolerate retaliation against students who bring forth a complaint in good faith about sexual misconduct.
AMDA prohibits conduct that constitutes, could lead to or contributes to the harassment of or by faculty, staff, supervisor/manager, students, customers, vendors, suppliers, and independent contractors based on (without limitation) an individual's sex, race, color, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws. AMDA does not tolerate retaliation against employees or students who bring forth a complaint in good faith about sexual misconduct.
Detailed information about AMDA's Non-Discrimination Policy and Grievance Process is available here.
Detailed information about AMDA's Lived Name & Pronoun Policy is available here.
What is Consent?
Both New York and California are affirmative consent states.
Affirmative consent is an affirmative, conscious, and voluntary agreement to engage in sexual activity. A lack of protest or resistance does not mean consent, nor does silence mean consent. Relying solely on nonverbal communication may result in a violation of this policy. Consent must be ongoing throughout the entire sexual experience. An existing dating relationship or past sexual relations does not automatically equal consent. Consent is revocable. The use of alcohol or drugs will not be accepted as an explanation for the actions of any individual charged with a violation of this policy
Under Title IX, sexual harassment is sex-based discrimination that includes quid pro quo behavior, severe and pervasive unwelcome conduct, and sexual violence.
Quid Pro Quo is the condition of an educational aid, benefit, or service on a student's submission to unwelcome sexual conduct.
Unwanted conduct of a sexual nature that is severe, pervasive, AND objectively offensive that it denies a person access or benefit of the school’s programs, activities, and employment opportunism.
Any sexual act directed against another person, without the consent of the complainant including instances where the complainant is incapable of giving consent. Sexual assault is an umbrella term that includes: non-consensual sexual contact, non-consensual sexual penetration, incest, and statutory rape.
Violence committed by a person who is or has been in a romantic or intimate relationship with the victim, determined by the length of the relationship, the type of relationship, and how often the partners interact.
A crime of violence committed by a current or former spouse or intimate partner, a person who shares a child in common, or someone cohabitating with the victim.
A course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to fear their safety or the safety of others, or to suffer substantial emotional distress.
The School prohibits retaliation under this Policy. Retaliation may include intimidating, threatening, coercing, harassing, or discriminating against any individual for the purpose of interfering with any right or privilege secured by law or policy, or because the individual has made a report or complaint, testified, assisted, or participated or refused to participate in any manner in an investigation, proceeding, or hearing under this Policy and procedure. Alleged retaliation should be reported immediately to the Title IX Coordinator and will be promptly investigated. The School will take appropriate action to protect individuals who fear that they may be subjected to retaliation.
An individual who has been reported or accused of being the perpetrator of prohibited sex discrimination or sexual harassment.
An individual who is alleged to be the victim of conduct that could constitute sex discrimination, sexual harassment, or related sexual misconduct.
A formal complaint under Title IX is a signed document filed by a complainant or signed by the Title IX Coordinator that alleges sex-based discrimination or harassment and requests a school investigation. It starts the official school grievance process
Reporting a Title IX violation is the process of notifying aAMDA about sex discrimination, sexual harassment, or sexual assault. This notification triggers supportive measures and outreach to the alleged Complainant by the Title IX Coordinator.
Supportive measures are non-disciplinary, non-punitive individualized services offered as appropriate, as reasonably available, and without fee or charge to the parties to restore or preserve access to the School’s education program or activity, including measures designed to protect the safety of all parties or the School’s educational environment, and/or deter harassment, discrimination, and/or retaliation.
AMDA encourages any individual who has been a victim of sex discrimination to make a report to the Title IX Coordinator or Deputy Title IX Coordinator and to local law enforcement. AMDA also encourages any individual who has been the victim of sexual assault or rape to seek assistance from a medical professional and law enforcement immediately after an incident of sexual violence to ensure preservation of evidence and to begin a timely investigation and initiate an immediate response.
AMDA is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of personal, identifiable information to the extent possible, subject to provisions of state and federal law. Other than as required by laws that guarantee public access to certain types of information, or in response to subpoenas or other legal instruments that authorize disclosure, personal information (including the victim's identity) will be disclosed on a need to know basis, and only to parties involved in the investigation. A student may request to be anonymous, and the school will uphold that request when possible.
To abide by state law, AMDA will report immediately to local law enforcement any willful homicide, robbery, aggravated assault, or hate crime committed on or off campus, as reported to campus security or other authority by the victim.
Title IX Coordinator will reach out to the named impacted party (the person who is reported to have experienced the harm) to offer resources and invite the person to a meeting.
If the person accepts the meeting, then options, resources, timelines, rights, responsibilities, will all be reviewed for the person to consider what route they would like to proceed, if any.
If they choose to issue a formal complaint (which is not the same as a report), the Title IX Coordinator will usher in that process, but they will make decisions as to what they wish to pursue.
If they chose not to submit a formal complaint, the Title IX Coordinator will respect their wishes, and no further action will be taken.
If the person does not wish to meet, then the Title IX Coordinator will provide resources, and no further action will be taken.
Resources and support are available to any person impacted by behavior defined as sexual harassment either by Title IX or state law regardless of if they choose to submit a formal complaint or not.
Title IX prohibits a school from discriminating against a student based on the student’s pregnancy, childbirth, false pregnancy, termination of pregnancy, or recovery from any of these conditions. Title IX also prohibits a school from applying any rule related to a student’s parental, family, or marital status that treats students differently based on their sex. If you have a concern, don't hesitate to get in touch with the Title IX Coordinator at jmoffitt@amda.edu. Please review the Know Your Rights FAQ sheet here.
The easiest way to report is to submit an incident report form by clicking the links below. You may also email either LATitleIX@amda.edu or NYTitleIX@amda.edu.
INCIDENT REPORT | RESPONSIBLE REPORTER REPORT FORM
Title IX and EO Coordinator- Jill Moffit (jmoffit@amda.edu)
When making a report to AMDA, you will be advised of your rights as a student, including your right to make a report to law enforcement and to the school's assistance in doing so, and your rights to interim measures to ensure your safety and well-being after making a report. After making a report, a student may decide not to proceed with a School investigation. In these cases, a school may have to continue without the students cooperation, if, for example, the conduct reported constitutes a danger to the campus as a whole.
AMDA's investigation of a policy violation does not preempt or supersede any legal procedure or remedies otherwise available to a victim. Disagreement with the findings or sanctions is not, by itself, grounds for an appeal.
Additional
AMDA Campus Security (24 hrs)
212-957-3391
Law Enforcement
911
Reporting Campus Assault to New York Police
844-845-7269
Reception
212-957-3300
Student Affairs
StudentaffairsNY@amda.edu / 212-957-3351
Mental Health Counseling
counselorNY@amda.edu / 212-362-1086
New York State Hotline for Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence
800-942-6906
National Sexual Assault Hotline
800-656-HOPE (4673)
National Resource Center on Domestic Violence Hotline
800-799-SAFE (7233)
Urgent Care Manhattan
212-721-4200
Bellevue Hospital Sexual Assault Response Team SAFE Center
212-562-3435
New York Presbyterian Hospital DOVE (Domestic and Other Violent Emergencies)
212-305-9060
St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital Crime Victims Treatment Center
212-523-4728
Law Enforcement
911
Law Enforcement
877-ASK-LAPD (877-275-5273)
Campus Security
323-603-5937
Campus RA (Allview, Apartments, Bungalows, Vine)
323-240-0771
Franklin RA
323-240-0927
Gilbert RA
323-829-7655
Student Affairs
323-603-5960 / LAStudentAffairs@amda.edu
Mental Health Counseling
LACounseling@amda.edu
National Sexual Assault Hotline*
800-656-HOPE (4673)
National Resource Center on Domestic Violence Hotline*
800-799-SAFE (7233)
Peace over Violence Rape and Battering Hotline*
213-626-3393
Rape and Treatment Center at Santa Monica-UCLA
424-259-7208
YWCA of Los Angeles
877-Y-HELPS-U (877-943-5778)
*Confidential Resource