Any form of violence intended to control or intimidate another person by asserting power over the person. Any type of sexual misconduct is power-based violence.

State laws that enforce sexual misconduct exist alongside Title IX in order to implement broader protections and standards, clarify jurisdiction, provide a more localized approach, and address state-specific concerns.

Louisiana state law and the Louisiana Board of Regents, under Act 472 in 2021, put into effect the Uniform Policy on Power-Based Violence. The policy outlines the steps and rules that public colleges and universities in Louisiana must follow to ensure the safety and protection of students and employees from power-based violence. 

Sexual misconduct is any verbal, non-verbal, or physical contact of a sexual nature that occurs without consent of the other person(s) regardless of personal relationship. Sexual misconduct includes forms of dating/domestic violence, sex discrimination, sexual assault, sexual harassment, power-based violence, stalking, and any other conduct of a sexual nature that has the purpose or effect of threatening, intimidating, or coercing a person. Sexual misconduct can be committed by intimate partners, acquaintances, or strangers and can occur between or among people of the same or opposite sex.

Consent is the affirmative and voluntary agreement to engage in a specific sexual activity during a sexual encounter. Consent cannot be given by any individual who is mentally or physically incapacitated, either through the effect of drugs, alcohol, or for any other reason; or under duress, threat, coercion, or force. The absence of “no” or the existence of current/prior relationship or sexual activity does not indicate consent.

1. Speak with a Confidential Advisor Only: Information will NOT be shared with the Title IX Coordinator or law enforcement. You may choose to report to the Title IX Coordinator and/or law enforcement at a later time with or without the assistance of the Confidential Advisor. Visit the Confidential Advisors web page to learn more about what a Confidential Advisor can and cannot do after you speak to them.
2. Report Incident to the Title IX Coordinator: The incident will be investigated and resolved pursuant to Permanent Memorandum 73 (entitled Title IX Policy Prohibitng Sexual Misconduct). Campus proceedings are not a substitute for the criminal justice process and no legal/criminal outcomes will occur as a result of the campus complaint process.
3. Report Incident (when applicable) to Law Enforcement: The incident will be investigated by appropriate law enforcement officials.
4. Report Incident to the Title IX Coordinator and Law Enforcement: The campus complaint process and criminal investigations will occur separately.

1. Policies: Permanent Memorandum 73 (entitled Title IX Policy Prohibiting Sexual Misconduct) and the Code of Student Conduct are in place to protect our campus community from acts of sexual misconduct.
2. Responsible Employees: Most LSUS employees (including faculty, staff, and student workers) are required to promptly notify the Title IX Coordinator of incidents of sexual misconduct.
3. Confidential Advisors: Campus community members can communicate with a confidential advisor about an incident(s) of sexual misconduct without instituting a Title IX investigation or any disciplinary proceeding. All Counseling Services staff are confidential advisors. For a complete list of confidential advisors, visit the Confidential Advisors page.
4. Complaint Process: LSUS will promptly and equitably investigate formal complaints, stop inappropriate behavior from continuing, seek remedies to the behavior, and prevent it from occurring in the future.
5. Supportive Measures: Parties may request or the university may recommend a no contact agreement and/or alternative class, work, or housing arrangements. Supportive measures are available with or without an investigation through the formal complaint process.
6. Party's Rights: The complainant and respondent will be notified of their rights and options following a report of sexual misconduct.
7. Confidentiality: Information will be kept confidential and only shared on a need-to-know basis in order to properly address the complaint.
8. Retaliation: LSUS will take immediate action to discontinue and remedy retaliation and may pursue disciplinary action as appropriate.
9. Jurisdiction: The policy covers conduct occurring on-campus, in the online learning environment, and off-campus (at LSUS-sponsored activities and/or when a student/employee is representing LSUS within the U.S.).

LSUS will: 

• Respond to complaints of dating and domestic violence, sexual assault, sexual harassment, stalking, retaliation, and any other behavior of a sexual nature that is severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive.
• Offer supportive measures (formerly referred to as interim measures) to the complainant and respondent. Additionally, any party who identifies as harmed, whether the individual decides to file a formal complaint or not, is eligible for supportive measures.
• Designate all university employees (excluding those exempted by legal privilege of confidentiality or those identified as confidential advisors) as responsible employees. Responsible employees must report incidents of sexual misconduct to the Title IX Coordinator.
• Utilize the preponderance of the evidence standard for all sexual misconduct cases. 

LSU Shreveport offers supportive measures upon notice of alleged power-based violence, with or without a formal complaint. Supportive measures are non-punitive services, intended to restore and preserve an individual’s access to programs or activities, without unreasonably burdening another party. Supportive measures may include, but are not limited to:

• Counseling, medical, or other healthcare services
• Campus or local advocacy programs
• Referral to campus or local law enforcement
• Services from community-based providers
• A no contact agreement
• Relocating a student’s apartment to another location of the Pilots Pointe Apartment complex
• Changing an employee’s or student worker’s work environment (e.g. reporting structure, office/workspace relocation)
• Academic support, extensions of deadlines, or other course related adjustments
• Alternative course completion options (e.g. Remote, Online, Incompletes, Withdrawals, etc.)
• Safety planning
• Transportation accommodations
• Student financial aid counseling
• Visa/immigration assistance
• Any other actions deemed appropriate by the Title IX Coordinator