Sonoma State University

New Civil Rights/Title IX Case Management and Reporting Information

Wednesday, April 15, 2026, 11:11am

TO: Campus Community
FR: Julie Vivas, J.D., Associate Vice President for Title IX, Equal Opportunity, and Dispute Resolution

As part of a systemwide initiative, our campus transitioned to a new centralized Civil Rights/Title IX case management system today. While this change will not significantly affect how you interact with our Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination (OPHD), we want to highlight a few important updates.  

New Form To Report a Concern
A new reporting form is available for concerns related to sexual misconduct, sexual harassment, dating and domestic violence, stalking, harassment and discrimination based on protected status, and retaliation. You can access the form on the OPHD’s homepage by clicking “Report a Concern.” This will take you to the CaseIQ portal, where you can submit information for yourself or as a Responsible Employee. Please note that submissions using this form might not be reviewed outside of normal business hours. If there is an immediate risk to health or safety, please call 911 or University Police at 707-664-4444.

Anonymous reports are permitted; however, the University’s ability to respond may be limited without identifying information. Responsible Employees must include their name and contact information when submitting a report.  

If you have any issues filling out the form, please contact me or another OPHD staff member. We can also accept concerns/reports via email, by phone (707) 664-4140, or by meeting with you.  

Returning Users
You may notice on the OPHD home page that there is a button for “Returning User Log-In.” Individuals who create an account can check the status of their report and/or communicate securely with OPHD staff. This feature is especially helpful for anonymous reporters, as it allows OPHD to request additional information and share resources through the system.

Email Communication Changes
You may receive emails with [Case IQ] in the subject line from an address ending in @calstate.caseiq.app. These are legitimate communications sent by OPHD staff through the new system.

If you are ever unsure about an email’s authenticity, please contact OPHD directly to confirm.

What Happens After a Concern is Received?
After receiving a report, a staff member will contact the person who may have experienced the reported conduct to schedule an intake meeting to discuss campus and community resources, Supportive Measures, and options to address the reported behavior.

Concerns can be resolved via filing formal complaints/investigations, informal/early resolution, and/or referrals to a more appropriate department, depending on the specific allegations. A person can choose to move forward with a complaint resolution process with OPHD, or decide not to do so. In very rare instances, OPHD may be obligated to move forward with an administrative resolution when there is a greater threat to campus safety.

Reminders Regarding Responsible Employee Reporting Obligations
As Seawolves, we are committed to fostering an inclusive and equitable campus community. Responsible Employees play a key role in ensuring that individuals who share concerns are connected with support, resources, and information about their options.

With limited exceptions outlined in the Nondiscrimination Policy, employees who know or have reason to know of potential policy violations must promptly report all available information to OPHD, including the names of involved parties, even if the individual requests anonymity.

Responsible Employees are not expected to investigate. Your role is to share the information with OPHD and help connect the individual to resources. You should also make clear that you are not a confidential employee and are required to report the information shared with you.

Even if the individual indicates they have already reported the concern to Title IX or have contacted law enforcement, you must still ensure that OPHD is notified.

Possible language to use when someone discloses to you:

  • This must be really hard for you. Thank you for sharing this with me.
  • I want to make sure you know that as a Responsible Employee, I need to share this information with the University’s Title IX Coordinator in OPHD to ensure you are able to connect to support resources and know all options available to you.
  • There are many resources on campus and in the community to take care of your physical and emotional well-being, including confidential ones.  
  • Let me know how I can best support you

Resources and Questions
If you have any questions or need help with this form, please feel free to reach out to any of our OPHD staff members.

You can find information about Rights and Options, AB 1968 Information/Resources immediately following an assault,  as well as on and off campus resources on the OPHD website.

Below is a list of confidential resources:

  • CAPS: Counseling and Psychological Services: Provides confidential counseling and psychological support to students. Support is available 24/7 by calling (707) 664-2153.
  • Sonoma State University Confidential Sexual Assault Advocate: Supports people who have experienced sexual misconduct, relationship violence, and stalking. They can be reached via email or (707) 664-2698.
  • Empathia -- Employee Assistance Program: SSU employees (including student employees) have confidential access to LifeMatters by Empathia. To receive confidential services 24 hours a day, call 800-367-7474.
  • Verity: Serves survivors of sexual assault and trafficking in Sonoma County, with professional sexual assault advocates who will support a survivor of sexual assault through their journey of healing and recovery in the way that is right for them, including a crisis and support line available 24 hours a day at (707) 545-7273.
  • YWCA: The YWCA Sonoma County provides services to those in emergency domestic violence situations as well as those in general need of resources. All services are available to women, men, and children regardless of sexual orientation. Services are conducted in a safe and confidential environment. (707) 546-1234