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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.
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.
Detailed information about AMDA's Title IX Vendor and Third Party Non-Discrimination Statement is available here.
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.
Sexual harassment or violence is unwelcome written, verbal, or physical conduct of a sexual nature. Examples of conduct that may constitute sexual harassment or violence include sexual propositions, sexual innuendoes, suggestive comments, suggestive jokes or pictures, graphic commentaries, suggestive or insulting sounds, leering, whistling, obscene gestures, unwanted physical contact of any type, and conditioning of any academic decision upon consent to sexual contact or relationship. AMDA protects against the following types of sexual harassment and violence, but this is not an exhaustive list:
Gender based harassment or violence includes harassment or violence directed at a person because of their gender identity. Examples of this include jokes, gossip, harassment, or violent acts taken against someone because of their gender identity, or a change in treatment or responsibilities based on gender; i.e. pregnancy discrimination. The following terms are used in the state of California to define gender under this policy.
Both New York and California are affirmative consent states.
Affirmative consent is 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.
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.
The easiest is to submit an incident report form. Though you may also email us at either LATitleIX@amda.edu or NYTitleIX@amda.edu.
Eugene Smith, Title IX and Equity Coordinator, LA
esmith@amda.edu
Students can email to make an appointment
Lauren Trapido, Deputy Title IX Coordinator, NY
323-603-5900 / NYTitleIX@amda.edu
Office Hours: Mondays, from 2-5pm EST
Students can drop in, or call without an appointment
Right to an Appeal: Both parties have a right to an appeal. Such an appeal should be addressed to the Appeal's Administrator and submitted to the Title IX Coordinator or the Deputy Title IX Coordinator or Appeal's Administrator within seven days of the appellant's receipt of the determination. The student must provide a detailed written request stating the basis for their appeal, with at least one of the following reasons:
Disagreement with the findings or sanctions is not, by itself, grounds for an appeal.
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 hole.
AMDA's investigation of a policy violation does not preempt or supersede any legal procedure or remedies otherwise available to a victim.
In order to ensure the safety and protect the well-being of all parties involved, sometimes remedial actions are taken during the investigation. Following a report of an incident, both the complainant and respondent will be informed of accommodations that may be available to them. Students may request reasonable accommodations as needed. The Title IX Coordinator or the Deputy Title IX Coordinator will evaluate any request for accommodations on a case-by-case basis. AMDA will provide information about the accommodations only to those who need to know in order to make the accommodations effective.
In response to 34 C.F.R., Part 106.45(b)(10) of the 2020 Title IX Final Rule, AMDA is required to publicly share all materials used to train Title IX personnel at the University. Any materials used to train Title IX Coordinators, Investigators, Adjudicators, and any person who facilitates an Informal Resolution process, will not rely on sex stereotypes and will promote impartial investigations and adjudications of Formal Complaints of Prohibited Conduct. All staff in the Office of Title IX, Investigators, Adjudicators, and any person who facilitates an informal resolution process will receive training on: the definition of sexual harassment and Prohibited Conduct; the scope of the Colleges' education program or activity; how to conduct an investigation and grievance process including hearings, appeals, and informal resolution processes (as applicable); and how to serve impartially, including by avoiding prejudgment of the facts at issue, conflicts of interest, and bias. Investigators will receive training on issues of relevance to create an investigative report that fairly summarizes relevant evidence. Adjudicators will also receive training on any technology used at a live hearing and on issues of relevance of questions and evidence, including when questions and evidence about the Complainant's sexual predisposition or prior sexual behavior are not relevant. Also, the trainings will include external and internal members of the Title IX team. The College will continue to post access to training materials through this website to the extent necessary to comply with Title IX.
The Title IX regulations (34 C.F.R.C.F.R. part 106) further require AMDA to publicly provide information on these trainings starting August 14, 2020. A list of trainings attended by these individuals is available. This list includes all trainings attended post-August 14, 2020. The list consists of the materials used in training, all of which are provided for public review. These trainings are both internal and external.
Additionally, this list will include training materials from external and internal Title IX team members. You may read AMDA's policy in its entirety here. These materials will be kept for seven years and can be viewed here.
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 esmith@amda.edu. Please review the Know Your Rights FAQ sheet here.
