What is Title IX?  

Title IX is a federal law that applies to all educational programs and activities in the United States. Title IX prohibits any discrimination based on sex. Within this prohibition, an educational program (such as ETSU) has a duty to adequately address and respond to any conduct that could be sex discrimination, including sexual assault and sexual harassment. The law applies to this conduct under the reasoning that it is directed at individuals because of their sex, and being the victim of such conduct can limit or deny a person’s access to an educational program. More recently, federal law has interpreted “sex” to include sexual orientation and gender identity.  

What are the University’s requirements when it is notified of a potential Title IX report/incident?  

University employees are required to immediately report any allegations of sex discrimination, including sexual harassment, to the Office of University Compliance. The Office of University Compliance will then determine what procedures and processes apply to a particular case and will respond accordingly. For conduct that meets the federal definition of sexual harassment, ETSU is bound by the procedures found in federal law and will follow its Title IX Rule. For other discriminatory conduct ETSU will follow its policy on Discrimination, Harassment, and Sexual Misconduct.  

What are my responsibilities when I am informed of a potential Title IX report/incident?  

• As an employee, inform the reporter that you are not a confidential resource and you will be notifying the Office of University Compliance, which will keep the information private and respect the reporter’s wishes to the extent allowed by law. 

• Students are not mandatory reporters, but should encourage a reporting party to reach out to the Office of University Compliance to discuss their options for support. 

• Offer the reporter confidential resource options, such as personal clergy or pastor, the ETSU Counseling Center, or a personal attorney 
• Immediately call the Office of University Compliance 

• To protect the privacy of those involved and the integrity of any potential investigation, do not share the information with others 
• The Office of University Compliance will be able to answer any questions you may have. 
• If you are made aware of any incident involving a Clery Crime and you are a Campus Security Authority, you are required to report the incident to ETSU’s Public Safety. 

What are a Student’s Options?  

• Students are encouraged, but not required, to report incidents of sexual misconduct or discrimination to the office of University Compliance.  

• In an emergency: dial 911 or 423-439-4480 
• Contact Garrison Burton, Title IX Coordinator at 423-439-8544; [email protected] 
• Report in person to the Compliance Office at 309 Burgin Dossett Hall 
• Report online (may be reported anonymously) 
• Report the incident to Public Safety 

• Reach out to a confidential resource such as a personal clergy member, a personal attorney, or the ETSU Counseling Center 

Campus Resources:  

• In an emergency: dial 911 or 423-439-4480 
• Preserve all evidence, reach out to a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) 
• Contact Garrison Burton, Title IX Coordinator at 423-439-8544; [email protected] 

• Report in person to the Compliance Office at 309 Burgin Dossett Hall 
• Report online (may be reported anonymously) 
• Report the incident to Public Safety 
• Reach out to a confidential resource such as a personal clergy member, a personal attorney, or the ETSU Counseling Center 

Discuss what happened to you with the Title IX Coordinator: 

Whether you are a student, an employee, or a visitor to ETSU, if you have been the victim of sexual harassment, sexual violence, dating or domestic violence, or any type of sexual misconduct, your Title IX Coordinatorteam is here to support you.  Once you reach out to the Title IX Coordinator, we can discuss how you wish to proceed.  ETSU offers several ways for you to discuss what happened to you. 

Any student, employee, or visitor to ETSU may use the online reporting portal to let the Title IX Team Coordinator know about incidents of sexual harassment, sexual violence, dating or domestic violence, or any type of sexual misconduct at ETSU.  You may also choose to make an anonymous report through the online portal.  Even if you do not think you want to take any action on your report, we encourage you to let us know about incidents of sexual misconduct so we can take precautions to keep others safe. 

Contact or visit us directly:  

ETSU Campus Title IX Coordinator Contact:  

Garrison Burton 

309 Burgin Dossett Hall 

423-439-8544 

Tim Franco 

Deputy Title IX Coordinator 

309 Burgin Dossett Hall  

423-439-8523 

Athletics Title IX Administrator and Contact:  

Lauren Aksionoff 

247 Mini-Dome 

Phone: 423-439-4809