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Support and Response

If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual misconduct or sex- or gender- discrimination, there are people at St. Thomas and in the local community who can help.

The Sexual Misconduct Policy and Title IX protect all St. Thomas community members from sex/gender discrimination, including sexual harassment, sexual assault, sexual exploitation, dating or domestic violence, stalking, and other forms of sexual misconduct. The university's Sexual Misconduct Policy contains definitions of these terms and provides details on how the university can support those who are impacted.

Available Resources

The Title IX Coordinator is committed to ensuring students, faculty, and staff receive appropriate resources, support, response, and reporting options to eliminate and address sex- and gender-based discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual assault, relationship violence, sexual exploitation, and stalking.

Students seeking academic support measures, housing support measures, no contact directives, or other supports are encouraged to contact the Title IX Coordinator directly.

Title IX Coordinator, Julie Thornton - julie.thornton@stthomas.edu or 651-962-6882

Students contemplating supports, but unsure about contacting Title IX are encouraged to talk with a member of Counseling and Psychological Services in the Center for Well Being, which is a confidential first-step.

Remember that the sexual assault was not your fault. No one deserves to be sexually assaulted. You are not alone.

Try to Preserve All Physical Evidence

It is best for any physical evidence to be collected immediately, ideally within the first 24 hours. The quality and quantity of evidence collected later may be substantially diminished.

Avoid washing, douching, brushing your teeth, or changing your clothes. This could be difficult, but if you wash you may destroy evidence that will be needed should you decide to press criminal charges. If you do change your clothes, put all clothing you were wearing at the time of the assault in individual paper bags (not plastic).

Get to a Safe Space and Find Support

Get to a safe place as soon as you can. Remember that you do not have to go through this alone.

Medical examination: You can be examined for injury, sexually transmitted infections, and pregnancy.

Counseling: You can talk with a counselor or receive referrals to local resources.

Report the Assault

We encourage you to report the assault. You may report the assault in different ways, such as by calling Public Safety at (651) 962-5555 (emergency) or (651) 962-5100 (non-emergency) or your local police at 911. They can help you get to the hospital as well as help you report the assault, should you decide to do so.

Note, going to the hospital to seek medical attention does not obligate you to report the crime.

Seek Medical Attention

It is important to seek immediate and follow-up medical attention for several reasons:

  • To assess and treat any physical injuries you may have sustained.
  • To determine the risk of sexually transmitted infections or pregnancy and take appropriate medical measures.
  • If you choose, you may have evidence collected to aid criminal prosecution if you later decide to file criminal charges. By law, emergency room staff must contact the police when they treat sexual assault survivors. The police will not ask you to file a report if you do not want to.

A hospital can provide general medical treatment and if the victim chooses, conduct a special evidence collection exam. A medical exam could include treatment of any physical problems and various lab tests for sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy. A specially trained nurse, an emergency department physician, or a gynecologist will perform the evidence collection exam. A sexual assault advocate or a support person of your choice may be present throughout the procedure.

The hospital emergency department follows national standards for victim care, rape exams, and evidence collection procedures. If the decision is made to conduct an evidence collection exam, the anonymous evidence may be held for six months or longer. This means you do not have to decide immediately whether you want to press criminal charges.

Even if you choose not to have a hospital exam, it is still important to get medical attention to treat any physical problems and to conduct various lab tests for sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy. To arrange non-emergency treatment, contact the Center for Well-Being at (651) 962-6750.

If a friend or someone you know was sexually assaulted, they may experience a variety of emotional reactions. For some, the emotional impact of sexual assault can be immediate and short-term. For others, the effects can be long-lasting. Your friend may find it helpful to talk to a counselor about these feelings.

Listen and Be Supportive

You don't need to know all the answers – your friend is just looking for someone to listen to and be supportive.

A friend may confide in you 10 minutes or 10 years after the assault. At that time, it doesn't matter so much what you say but how well you listen. Allow the person to talk, but do not push for details or ask a lot of questions. Let your friend decide what and when they feel comfortable telling you about the assault and its impact.

It is important that the survivor feels support from friends and family. Be careful not to invade their space. The survivor may be quite frightened and not want to be in close physical contact with anyone, even someone who is trusted.

Believe the Survivor

No one deserves to be sexually assaulted or asks to be raped. Avoid searching for things your friend should have done. Survivors often blame themselves and need to know it was not their fault.

It is important that the survivor has someone who believes that they were assaulted. Let your friend know right away that you care and want to help. It takes courage to talk about sexual assault with other people. Many victims remain silent because they feel ashamed and/or fear that they will be disbelieved or blamed if they tell other people about what happened to them.

Allow Them to Make Their Own Decisions

During a sexual assault, a person loses all control and it is important for the survivor to regain that control. One important way for the survivor to reestablish control is to make decisions autonomously. You may make suggestions such as calling the police, the victim/witness hotline, or telling a resident advisor, but allow the survivor to make their own choices.

Sexual assault has many lasting effects. It is important for you to realize that each survivor recovers at their own pace. Do not question the timing of the recovery. Remain supportive and provide encouragement.

Don't disclose what the victim tells you to other people. Let your friend decide whom they want to confide in.

Provide Ongoing Support

Your friend may need medical attention or counseling. Offer to accompany your friend to get help, such as medical care, an evidentiary examination, counseling, or other services. Offer to be with your friend when they make a police report or tell a parent or partner. Do what you can to assist your friend in getting information about these and other options so they can make informed decisions.

  • Encourage your friend to get medical care, even if the assault happened a while ago and even if your friend does not appear to have any physical injuries.
  • Encourage your friend to talk with a counselor at a rape treatment center. If your friend is not ready to talk to a counselor “in person,” encourage your friend to call a rape hotline and talk with a counselor on the telephone.
  • If your friend is willing to report the crime, encourage them to contact the police as soon as possible. Police officers can help victims get medical care and resolve concerns about their safety. Reporting an incident of sexual violence does not mean that the victim must file charges. If the victim wishes to file a charge with local law enforcement officials, St. Thomas Public Safety will provide assistance when requested.
  • Assist your friend in finding information and resources.

Take Care of Yourself

Understand your own feelings. You may also feel confused, hurt, angry, or frightened. Such feelings are normal. Know and respect your own limits. There is only so much you can do to help your friend.

You can provide support, compassion, and companionship when your friend wants it, but try not to make commitments that you cannot fulfill. Remember that it was not your fault. You may feel guilty, thinking that somehow you could have prevented your friend's sexual assault. Don't forget that sexual assault is a violent crime, and you are not responsible for someone else's actions.

The Sexual Misconduct Policy requires faculty and staff to report incidents or concerns of gender/sex discrimination and other forms of sexual misconduct to the Title IX Coordinator. Reporting ensures that students, faculty, and staff are connected with appropriate resources and helps to protect the campus community from future harm.

If you think a student is going to tell you something that may fall within the sexual misconduct policy:

Consider sharing that you are grateful they feel comfortable talking wish you, remind them you are not a confidential resource, and help to get them connected with appropriate resources. For example:

“I want to hear what you have to say and am grateful you want to share your experience with me. I want to offer support and resources for you. Please know I am not confidential, and I am required to share certain information with a St. Thomas colleague (Title IX Coordinator), if what you share is sexual in nature or may fall within our sexual misconduct policy. Bottomline- my colleague is better equipped to help you. If you want to talk with a confidential resource to sort out your options first, I can get you connected with someone in Center for Well Being.”

*Note: Center for Well Being Counseling & Psychological Services and Health Services are mandatory reporters of suspected child abuse under Minnesota law and are not confidential when receiving reports of suspected child abuse.

If a student discloses sexual misconduct to you:
  • Listen non-judgmental and support the student. Accept the experience as the student describes it. Articulate clearly that you want to provide support to the student. Don’t press for details and avoid “why” questions, which may cause the student to feel judged. Use the words the student uses (“taken advantage of” “violated” “raped” or other general terms such as “harm.”) Do not comment on what could have been done differently or make statements that imply that the student could have avoided the assault. Do not comment on alcohol or drug usage.
  • Assure the student that it is not their fault. Self-blame is common among victims of sexual violence.
  • Be sympathetic and supportive. Do say something like “I'm so sorry that you have to go through this.” But, avoid expressions of shock, anger, or outrage, which may silence the survivor or distract them from talking about their own needs.
  • Remember your role. You are not the investigator or the judge. Your role is to support the student and to help them connect with the Title IX Coordinator and/or a confidential resource, so that the student has access to the resources and assistance they want and need.
  • Offer company. If the student is hesitant to get help, even from those who you know are supportive and helpful, offer to accompany them to those who can help. Sometimes that is all it takes to help a student begin to take action. Make a call to the TItle IX Coordinator for the student or walk with the student to the Center for Well Being or Public Safety.
  • Contact the Title IX Coordinator. Follow the link to the Title IX Report Form where you can share information directly with the Title IX Coordinator who will respond to your report within 24-business hours. Contacting Public Safety to report (651-962-5555) or sending an email to the Title IX Coordinator (julie.thornton@stthomas.edu) is also a fine way to make contact.
If the student requests that you keep the information confidential:

Tell the student you are required to tell the Title IX Coordinator about incidents/concerns raised that are sexual in nature that may fall within the Sexual Misconduct Policy.  Assure the student that the University treats these matters confidentially and privately, consistent with its need to respond in order to protect the community.  Explain that the Title IX Coordinator can help ensure that the student has access to available resources and assistance (supportive and safety measures are a priority).

Under Title IX, the University must eliminate and prevent sexual misconduct from happening; so, when we hear about it, we must address the behavior, to prevent the re-occurrence, especially when we know who caused the harm. When we know a member of our community has been impacted by gender/sex discrimination or sexual misconduct, we must provide support to those harmed.

It is the Title IX Coordinator’s responsibility to lead these response efforts and supportive measures.

St. Thomas Center for Well Being

St. Thomas Health Services (SANE exam available)
(651) 962-6750

St. Thomas Counseling and Psychological Services
St. Paul Campus - Center for Well-Being (35 South Finn St.)
(651) 962-6780
Minneapolis Campus - TMH 201F
(651) 962-6780

St. Thomas Campus Ministry

University of St. Thomas Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

ADVOCACY SUPPORT

  • Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Violence (MNCASA) – provides leadership and resources for sexual assault programs and allies to prevent sexual violence while promoting a comprehensive, socially just response for all victims/survivors
  • STANDPOINT – attorneys and advocates against domestic and sexual violence
  • Law Help Minnesota – legal help for Minnesota residents
  • Safe at Home – a statewide address confidentiality program administered by the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State
  • Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office information on Orders for Protection

LGBTQ+ SPECIFIC SUPPORT

ADDITIONAL LEGAL SUPPORT

Minnesota Department of Public Safety Resource List for Victims

Domestic Abuse Service Center (for victims of domestic violence and dating violence)
Hennepin County Government Center
Rm. #A-0650 (lower level)
300 S. 6th Street
Minneapolis, MN 55487
(612) 348-5073

Minnesota Office of Justice, Crime Victims Programs
Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
(651) 201-7300 or (888) 622-8799, ext. 1 for financial help
(800) 247-0390, ext. 3 for information and referral
(651) 205-4827 TTY

Ramsey County Victim/Witness Services
Ramsey County Attorney's Office
(651) 266-3222

Hennepin County Victim Services
Hennepin County Attorney's Office
(612) 348-4003

Steele County Victim Services Program
303 S Cedar Ave, Owatonna, MN, 55060
(507) 444-7780

Lawhelpmn.org (legal information on a variety of sexual assault issues)

U.S. Embassy in Rome
Telephone: 06 46741

U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights (OCR)
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202-1100 Customer Service Hotline #: (800) 421-3481
Facsimile: (202) 453-6012 TDD#: (877) 521-2172
Email: OCR@ed.gov