Sexual Misconduct Policy & Procedure

Overview
St. Joseph’s Seminary & College is committed to an academic, residential and work environment free from sexual misconduct and other forms of unlawful discrimination.  Sexual Misconduct, which is defined in Section IV hereof, is prohibited by this Sexual Misconduct Policy and Adjudication Procedure (Link to Policy and Procedure), as well as by federal and state law.  If there is a finding that any form of sexual misconduct in violation of this Policy has occurred, the Seminary will take appropriate action, including, when appropriate, dismissal from the Seminary or termination of employment.
The Seminary seeks to foster a culture of prevention and awareness surrounding sexual misconduct.  The Seminary will take appropriate action for prompt and equitable resolutions of allegations filed with the Seminary, take appropriate action to eliminate sexual misconduct, prevent its recurrence, and remedy its effects on the Seminary community.
All Seminary Students have rights as explained in the Bill of Rights set forth in Appendix B of the Policy which is iterated in the New York State Education Law Article 129-B, also known as “Enough is Enough” legislation.

Seminary Resources
If you have experienced or witnessed a potential violation of this policy, please contact the Seminary’s Compliance Coordinator or Deputy or one of the deans.

Compliance Coordinator
Prof. Annmarie McLaughlin
914-367-8386
[email protected]


Deputy Coordinator 
Rev. Michael Bruno, S.T.D.
914-367-8216
[email protected]

Confidential Resources  

The Spiritual Directors of the Seminary in the ‘internal forum’ and the psychologists are people who can speak with you confidentially and provide counsel and pastoral direction. These are the only employees on campus who are confidential resources at the Seminary.

Contact information for the Seminary’s Spiritual Directors can be found on the Faculty page of the dunwoodie.edu website:  Administration & Academic Faculty - St. Joseph's Seminary & College - Yonkers, NY (dunwoodie.edu) The Seminary’s Spiritual Directors are identified with the placement of (Spiritual Director) after their names. Contact information for our staff psychologist may be found on the Contact Us page of the dunwoodie.edu website: https://dunwoodie.edu/contact-information. 

Equal Access to Support
The Seminary is committed to treating all individuals with dignity, care, and respect. Both a Complainant and a Respondent will have equal access to support.  The Seminary will assist the Complainant and Respondent in obtaining assistance and support through community resources.  All parties are strongly encouraged to utilize available resources for assistance.

Emergency Resources
An individual who has been the victim of a crime, such as sexual assault, is encouraged to get to a safe place and contact the local police department or call 911 immediately. Even if the individual does not wish to report the criminal conduct to the Seminary or to local law enforcement, he or she should still consider going to a hospital, both for his or her own health and well-being and so that evidence can be collected and preserved.

The following hospitals provide Sexual Assault Response Treatment (SART) programs:

Westchester
Westchester County Medical Center | 100 Woods Road, Valhalla, N.Y. | 914-493-7000
White Plains Hospital Medical Center | 41 East Post Road, White Plains, N.Y. | 914-681-0600
 
Queens
Elmhurst Hospital Center | 79-01 Broadway, Elmhurst, N.Y. | 718-334-4000
Queens Hospital Center | 82-68 164th Street, Jamaica, N.Y. | 718-883-3090

Long Island
North Shore University Hospital | 300 Community Drive, Manhasset | 516-562-4125
Mather Hospital | 75 North Country Road, Port Jefferson / 631-473-1320

Rape and Violence Crisis Centers & Hotlines (most offer assistance 24 hours a day)

• New York State Hotline for Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence, free and immediate support, 24 hours a day, Telephone 1-800-942-6906
• Rape Crisis Hotline, free and immediate support, 24 hours per day, Telephone 914-345-9111
• Safe Horizon Sexual Assault Hotline, Telephone (800) 621-HOPE (4673) or at www.safehorizon.org.  Safe Horizon’s Counseling Center is licensed by the state of New York and specializes in treating traumatized victims of crime and abuse.
• New York State Office of Victim Services, Telephone 800 - 247-8035 (or) www.ovs.ny.gov
• New York State Domestic Violence Hotline, Telephone 800-247-8035

• National Crime Victims Bar Association, Telephone 202-467-8753; for assistance pursuing civil justice for crime victims
• NYS Crime Victims Board, Telephone 800-247-8035; for legal help and information provided by the New York State Office of Victim Services
• LawHelp.org.  This is a website dedicated to helping persons in need find legal help, organizations, resources, and information for various circumstances

 
Regardless of whether possible criminal conduct is reported to the proper authorities, the Seminary will generally still conduct an investigation and take appropriate steps to assist the victim. (Link to Policy & Procedure)