Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, issued by the US Department of Education and the Office of Civil Rights, states that sexual misconduct is a form of sex discrimination, which is prohibited by federal law, and therefore is a civil rights violation. The College has designated Ms. Romana Manzoor, Program Coordinator, as the Title IX Coordinator. She will assist in matters of Title IX violations and supervises the College’s compliance with Title IX. Her contact information is: programs@aicusa.edu

A student may also contact her in order to obtain a copy of AIC’s internal complaint policy, located in the main office, or obtain a complaint form from the State of Illinois Department of Human Rights.

If a Confidential Advisor is requested, then the College will provide the survivor with one in addition to other support service options, emergency information, and other pertinent resources.

In accordance with 110 ILCS 155/15, AIC has adopted the following:

American Islamic College (AIC) respects the survivor’s right to report or not report the alleged incident to the Title IX Coordinator. AIC protects the confidentiality, safety, and privacy of the survivor. AIC prohibits retaliation against the survivor. AIC takes all forms of sexual violence and harassment seriously. This includes domestic violence, dating violence, or stalking, while enrolled at AIC. If you are a survivor or a witness and wish to report anonymously, then, please feel free to fill out an Anonymous Report Form located on the AIC website: www.aicusa.edu/student-services/title-ix

1. the survivor has the right to report or not report the alleged incident to the higher education institution, law enforcement, or both, including information about the survivor’s right to privacy and which reporting methods are confidential;
2. the survivor has the right to request and receive assistance from campus authorities in notifying law enforcement;
3. the survivor has the ability to request interim protective measures and accommodations for survivors, including without limitation changes to academic, living, dining, working, and transportation situations, obtaining and enforcing a campus-issued order of protection or no contact order, if such protective measures and accommodations are reasonably available, and an order of protection or no contact order in State court;
4. the College will provide assistance, upon the survivor’s request, in accessing and navigating campus and local health and mental health services, counseling, and advocacy services.

Students and employees must report any suspicious behavior, abuse, violence, hate crimes, and sexual misconduct if experienced or observed to the Title IX Coordinator (as listed above), Resident Assistant, Security personnel, Dormitory Supervisor, or a faculty member. If the conduct is of a criminal nature, the student should also alarm the local law enforcement agency. In addition, a student may contact the Illinois Department of Human Rights for further assistance:

IDHR Chicago Office
100 W. Randolph Street 10th Floor
Intake Unit
Chicago, IL 60601
(312) 814-6200

Due to the seriousness and sensitivity of such cases, AIC has strong guidelines concerning the reporting of alleged incidents and safeguarding the confidentiality of both the victim and the accused in such cases. The College encourages the immediate reporting of such alleged incidents to the Title IX Coordinator, Confidential Advisor or Campus Counselor, Dormitory Supervisor, or another administrative official or faculty member. Reports may also be filed anonymously through our website. Retaliation against the reporter of the incident will result in serious disciplinary action. Retaliation against any person(s) involved in the case is illegal. Making false allegations is considered a violation of Title IX and so will be taken with the utmost seriousness.

The victim should report the misconduct within twelve months of the incident so that proper measures can be taken in appropriate and productive ways.

AIC will promptly conduct a thorough investigation of the circumstances and will take appropriate actions to resolve the issue. AIC may also seek to support victims of sexual harassment by cooperating with local law enforcement agencies, health care providers, and counselors, if necessary. In all cases, the confidentiality of the victim or complainant, as well as the accused, will be strictly protected. Information that would personally identify the victim may be omitted in school held records on the issue of sexual harassment or related issues. Under Title IX, AIC also aims to protect the victim or reporter of the incident from any form of retaliation.

All conducted hearings will be in a manner of accountability and will have the intention to protect the safety of the victim. According to the VAWA Act of 2013, “[t]he accuser and the accused are entitled to the same opportunities to have others present during an institutional disciplinary proceeding, including the opportunity to be accompanied to any related meeting or proceeding by an advisor of their choice…” Both the accuser and the accused will be notified simultaneously and in writing of the outcomes of these procedures, the final result, and – if applicable – any changes to the final result.

If the accused fails to respond to the claim and/or appear at the hearing, then the process will be based on the complainant’s testimony only. Thus, it is important for the accused to respond and/or appear for the hearing. The same principle applies to the complainant.

If the complainant chooses to withdraw the case, then he/she/they must submit, in writing, the reason for the withdrawal, to the Title IX Coordinator. The respondent, or accused, will be notified of the withdrawal; he/she/they will have to respond in writing, as to whether he/she/they agrees to the withdrawal before the charges are dropped.

The College may take the case by continuing to look into the case for the safety of its campus and may rely on the victim as a witness, even if the charges are dropped and the victim withdrew the case.

The College will take appropriate disciplinary action if the respondent is found guilty. Depending on the case, disciplinary action may include required counseling, probation, suspension, termination, or expulsion. The College will work with local law enforcement if necessary. If it is determined that a complainant issued false or misleading information, or provoked the case with bad intention, then the College will take appropriate disciplinary action.

American Islamic College provides educational programs for its students and employees that address all forms of sexual violence. As an institution of higher education, we trouble the societal norms by interrogating their relation to dominant structures, which hold power through privilege and in many cases are oppressive. Therefore, the intentions of our programs as they relate to sexual violence, civil rights, racial justice, gender justice, and other characteristics of social justice are to raise awareness, foster activism and leadership, and provide important information on related policies and reporting procedures. Please be attentive to correspondences regarding Title IX trainings and workshops from the Title IX Office.