Header Two

How to File a Title IX Complaint

In accordance with LCTCS Policy #9.001 Power -Based Violence and LCTCS Policy #9.002 Title IX Grievance Procedures, Delgado Community College is committed to providing a learning and working environment free of sexual discrimination and sexual misconduct. Sexual discrimination and sexual misconduct violates an individual’s fundamental rights and personal dignity. Delgado Community College considers sexual misconduct and sexual discrimination in any form to be a serious offense. Anyone who believes there has been an act of discrimination on the basis of sex against any person or group in a program or activity that receives federal financial assistance may file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, under Title IX legislation. The person or organization filing the complaint need not be a victim of the alleged discrimination but may be affected by a general “hostile sexual environment” or may complain on behalf of another person or group.

A complaint can be filed one of three ways:

  1. Contact Delgado's Title IX Coordinator, Traci B. Smothers, at 504-762-3004 or tsmoth@dcc.edu.
  2. Log onto the College's Referral Reporting System.
  3. Contact the Office of Civil Rights Enforcement Office that serves the state in which the alleged discrimination occurred.

Dallas Office for Civil Rights
U.S. Department of Education
1999 Bryan Street, Suite 1620
Dallas, Texas 75201-6810

Telephone: (214) 661-9600
FAX: (214) 661-9587; TDD: 800-877-8339
Email: ocr.dallas@ed.gov

The complaint may, but is not required to be, provided in writing, and may include:

  • The name, organization, department, and position of the person or persons allegedly violating this policy;
  • A description of the incident(s), including the date(s), location(s), and the presence of any witness(es);
  • If the complainant is an employee, the alleged effect of the incident(s) on the complainant's position, salary, benefits, promotional opportunities, or other terms of conditions of employment;
  • The name(s) of other student(s) or employee(s) who might have been subject to the same or similar conduct; and/or
  • Any other information the complainant believes to be relevant to the alleged sexual misconduct, discrimination, harassment, or retaliation.

While all sexual discrimination and sexual misconduct complaints must be filed with the Title IX Coordinator, student-involved complaints will use the student judicial process for disciplinary measures, as applicable. Employee-involved complaints will use Human Resources processes to determine the appropriate disciplinary action, or recommendation for disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal, in accordance with applicable laws, rules, and/or applicable Delgado Community College and Louisiana Community and Technical College System (LCTCS) policies. See LCTCS Policy #9.001 Power -Based Violence and LCTCS Policy #9.002 Title IX Grievance Procedures. 

Under Title IX, if you choose to report sexual assault or harassment, the person to whom you report may be required to submit a form, which is used to compute campus crime statistics as mandated by the Clery Act. The form asks for information such as what kind of offense occurred and whether it happened on College property. You do not have to provide any details beyond those you with which you are comfortable sharing, and you have no obligation to give the perpetrator’s name if you do not want to. You may or may not be able to report anonymously, depending on the person to whom you report, but in no case will your name appear in the College’s public crime statistics. You have a right to access your incident report in the future, which may involve getting a case number for reference.