Title IX

Bossier Parish Community College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, age, religion, qualified disability, marital status, veteran’s status, or sexual orientation in admission to its programs, services, or activities, in access to them, in treatment of individuals, or in any aspect of its operations. Bossier Parish Community College does not discriminate in its hiring or employment practices.

Title IX Coordinator
Tierney “Teri” Bashara, Director of Human Resources
Human Resources Office, A-105
6220 East Texas Street
Bossier City, LA 71111
Phone: 318-678-6056
Email: tbashara@bpcc.edu
Hours: 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday – Friday, excluding holidays and weekends.

OR

U.S. Department of Education
Office of Civil Rights
Lyndon Baines Johnson Department of Education Bldg.
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202-1100
Phone: (800) 421-3481
Fax (202) 453-6012; TDD (800) 877-8339
Email: ocr@ed.gov

Retaliation against any person who initiates an inquiry or complaint or participates in the investigation of a complaint is prohibited. Such conduct will be further cause for disciplinary action.

BPCC has trained Confidential Advisors who serve to aid persons involved in a sexual misconduct complaint in the resolution process as a confidential resource. See current list of BPCC Confidential Advisors.

Any person who has been impacted by sexual violence (sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking) or gender-based misconduct is encouraged to report and seek appropriate resources at the BPCC Title IX Website or contact the College's Title IX Coordinator, Tierney “Teri” Bashara, at tbashara@bpcc.edu or (318) 678-6056 to discuss your options.

As part of its commitment to providing an educational environment free from discrimination, Bossier Parish Community College complies with Title IX of the Education Amendments, which prohibits discrimination and harassment based upon sex in an institution’s education programs and activities. Title IX prohibits sexual harassment, including sexual violence, of students at Bossier Parish Community College sponsored activities and programs whether occurring on or off campus. Title IX also protects third-parties, such as visiting student athletes, from sexual harassment or sexual violence in BPCC’s programs and activities and protects employees from sexual harassment and discrimination. Prohibited harassment includes acts of verbal, nonverbal or physical aggression, intimidation or hostility based on sex, even if those acts do not involve conduct of a sexual nature; sex-based harassment by those of the same sex; and discriminatory sex stereotyping. BPCC will take prompt action to investigate and resolve reports of sexual harassment or sexual violence in accordance with Title IX.

BPCC’s Title IX Coordinator is Tierney “Teri” Bashara, Bldg. A -105, 6220 E. Texas Street, Bossier City, LA 71111. Phone: (318) 678-6056. Email: tbashara@bpcc.edu 

Retaliation against any person who initiates an inquiry or complaint or participates in the investigation of a complaint is prohibited. Such conduct will be further cause for disciplinary action.

Disability Services coordinates campus-wide efforts to provide services and accommodations for students with disabilities. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the office ensures that eligible students receive proper classroom modification and serves as a liaison between faculty and students. Medical or psychological documentation is required to recognize a disability.

Bossier Parish Community College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, age, religion, qualified disability, marital status, veteran’s status, or sexual orientation in admission to its programs, services, or activities, in access to them, in treatment of individuals, or in any aspect of its operations, Bossier Parish Community College does not discriminate in its hiring or employment practices. More information is available on the College’s Disability Services website.

Coordinator for Section 504 and ADA
Angie Cao, Student and Disability Services Specialist
Disability Services Office, F254
6220 East Texas Street, Bossier City, LA 71111
Phone number: 318-678-6511
Email: acao@bpcc.edu
Hours: 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Monday-Friday, excluding holidays and weekends.

BPCC is committed to providing a learning and working environment free of sexual discrimination and sexual misconduct. Sexual discrimination and sexual misconduct violate an individual’s fundamental rights and personal dignity. BPCC considers sexual misconduct and sexual discrimination in any form to be a serious offense. Anyone who believes there has been an act of discrimination on the basis of sex against any person or group in a program or activity that receives federal financial assistance may file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, under Title IX legislation. The person or organization filing the complaint need not be a victim of the alleged discrimination but may be affected by a general “hostile sexual environment” or may complain on behalf of another person or group.

A complaint can be filed one of two ways:

1. Contact BPCC’s Title IX Coordinator, Tierney “Teri” Bashara, at (318) 678-6056 or tbashara@bpcc.edu.
2. Contact the Office of Civil Rights Enforcement Office that serves the state in which the alleged discrimination occurred.

Dallas Office for Civil Rights
U.S. Department of Education
1999 Bryan Street, Suite 1620
Dallas, Texas 75201-6810

Telephone: (214) 661-9600
FAX: (214) 661-9587; TDD: 800-877-8339
Email: ocr.dallas@ed.gov

While all sexual discrimination and sexual misconduct complaints must be filed with the Title IX Coordinator, student-involved complaints will use the student judicial process for disciplinary measures, as applicable. Employee-involved complaints will use Human Resources processes to determine the appropriate disciplinary action, or recommendation for disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal, in accordance with applicable laws, rules, and/or applicable Bossier Parish Community College and Louisiana Community and Technical College System (LCTCS) policies. See the LCTCS Policy #2.015, Campus Sexual Misconduct.

Under Title IX, if you choose to report sexual assault or harassment, the person to whom you report may be required to submit a form, which is used to compute campus crime statistics as mandated by the Clery Act. You may use this form to report an incident; however, you do not have to provide any details beyond those you with which you are comfortable sharing, and you have no obligation to give the accused person’s name if you do not want to. You may or may not be able to report anonymously, depending on the person to whom you report, but in no case will your name appear in the College’s public crime statistics. You have a right to access your incident report in the future, which may involve getting a case number for reference.

All Bossier Parish Community College employees are designated as responsible employees, with the exception of those employees who are authorized or required by law to keep information confidential by virtue of their role. Responsible employees have a duty to report incidents of sexual violence or misconduct to the College's Title IX Coordinator or other designated College official.

Title IX requires reporting from "responsible employees," which include:

1. Those with authority to address and remedy sex and gender-based discrimination and harassment; and/or
2. Those with responsibility to report sexual misconduct to supervisor, Title IX Coordinator, or other designated College official; and/or
3. Those who a student would reasonably believe have such authority or obligation; and/or
4. All supervisors of other employees

Title IX does not consider the following as responsible employees because they are authorized or required by law to keep information confidential by virtue of their role:

1. Confidential Advisors
2. Licensed Mental Health Counselors

Accordingly, individuals working in the above-described capacities at the College are not designated as responsible employees.

Taking a stand and looking out for one another’s safety is a core value of BPCC. Committing to this value includes intervening when we observe anyone whose safety is being threatened, being harassed or is in danger of sexual assault or violence. BPCC holds its employees to a high standard of never being silent and never being passive bystanders. Accordingly, College employees receive training on reporting and disclosure of sexual assault or violence as part of the College’s sexual harassment, assault and violence prevention training. The online course fulfills the primary prevention and risk reduction program for current and new faculty and staff as part of the Campus SaVE act on sexual harassment and sexual violence to fulfill Title IX requirements. Through this training, employees also have the opportunity to better understand the impact of Title IX and the Educational Amendments of 1972 on colleges and universities, their employees, and students.

TITLE IX TRAINING MATERIAL

• ATIXA training material
• Power-Based Violence - Louisiana Board of Regents

BPCC has trained Confidential Advisors who serve to aid persons involved in a sexual misconduct complaint in the resolution process as a confidential resource. See current list of BPCC Confidential Advisors.

See the U.S. Department of Education's Know Your Rights: Pregnant or Parenting resource for more information.

See the U.S. Department of Justice’s Dear Colleague Letter for more information.

The Clery Act is a law that requires colleges and universities to be transparent in posting crime statistics on their campuses. It takes this charge a step further by requiring educational institutions to keep their students informed on statistics and how to protect themselves from sexual assault, relationship violence, and sexual harassment.

Bossier Parish Community College (BPCC) is committed to creating and maintaining an environment in which sexual violence against men and women is not tolerated. Intervening in such instances helps to foster a safe environment for all, while sending a message that this kind of behavior will not be tolerated and is unacceptable in our community. BPCC is a college community where respect, consent and responsibility are valued. We are all responsible for ensuring that no one has to endure sexual violence of any sort. To this end, the Louisiana Community and Technical College System and BPCC present the Clery Act Training Course which is designed to inform, enlighten and educate BPCC students, faculty, and staff regarding sexual violence. 

The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics (Clery Act) is a federal law which requires colleges that participate in federal financial aid programs to keep and disclose information about crime on, and near their respective campuses. Bossier Parish Community College (BPCC) will adhere to all requirements of the Clery Act and Section 304 of the Violence against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 (VAWA), which extends the Clery Act to include dating violence, domestic violence and stalking.

The Campus Safety and Annual Security Report is provided to the public for compliance with the federal Campus Security Act of 1990 and the Higher Education Amendments of 1992. This document contains policy statements and crime statistics for the College. The crime categories within the report are mandated to be reported by the Jeanne Clery Act of 1990, also known as the Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act. Also included are policies imperative to the safety and security of our campus community.

BPCC shares the public’s genuine concern about public safety in a college setting and offers services and preventative measures to improve the safety of the College community. Ultimately, each individual is responsible for his/her own personal safety by being aware of his/her surroundings and using good judgement.

• Campus Safety and Annual Security Report (March 13, 2024)
• Campus Crime Report Spring 2023
• MOU between BPCC, BCPD, DA and BSO