The Collegiate requested, under the Freedom of Information Act, the number of ethics and Title IX complaints filed against GRCC faculty and staff dating back to the start of the fall 2025 semester until Feb. 19, 2026. There were a total of 21 reports, which were broken down into six categories: domestic violence (10), sexual harassment (4), sexual assault (1), stalking (4), dating violence (1), and harassment (1).
Notably, none of the reports led to an investigation, and while sorting through the reports, The Collegiate staff began to wonder how the complaint process works.
The Grand Rapids Community College website states that Title IX is a federal law.
“No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”
To understand and get more clarity about the process, The Collegiate reached out to Lisa Thomas, Director of Equal Opportunity Compliance and Title IX coordinator, via email.
Thomas first distinguished the different policies a complaint may fall under. “For concerns involving discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or sex-based misconduct, reporting typically falls under Policy 6.2 (Non-discrimination, Anti-Harassment and Equal Opportunity) or Policy 6.5 (Title IX),” she stated.
Reports can be made directly to the Office of Institutional Equity (OIE) through the online form, by email, by phone, or in person.
The online form was recently updated to make reporting easier and less tedious to fill out, as it requires fewer answers. Thomas explained further, “Individuals now only need to complete the “details” section with whatever information they have available… The goal is to reduce barriers to reporting and allow individuals to share concerns without feeling like they need to have everything figured out in advance.
“Once a report is received, our role is to follow up, offer support, explain available options, and allow the individual who experienced the concern to decide how they would like to proceed,” Thomas stated. “Our first priority is always ensuring that the individual has access to support and understands their options.”
Depending on the nature of a complaint, some may require help from other departments. For instance, if the concern is academic, they will suggest the individual reach out to the instructor or department. If the concern is more general, an individual will be directed to Student Conduct.
Thomas ensured that if a concern involves someone outside of the college community, the individual will receive support and resources. Additionally, the office may “take steps to address the impact on the campus environment, even if a formal Title IX process is not applicable.
“In most cases, the process is led by the complainant, meaning the person who experienced the concern has control over whether they would like to move forward with a formal complaint, pursue an informal resolution, or simply receive supportive measures without initiating an investigation.”
Thomas shared that a person does not have to be the complainant, the one who experienced the conduct, to file a complaint. Any individual can report information or make a Title IX complaint, including students, employees, as well as third parties who may be knowledgeable of a certain circumstance.
“In some cases, the College may move forward based on the information available, particularly if there are broader safety concerns or potential patterns that need to be addressed. In those situations, the Title IX Coordinator may sign the complaint to initiate the process.”
Such a case could include a sexual harassment complaint made on behalf of one complainant, only to find out that there are others who are similarly affected by the same individual. Then the college would move forward with an investigation, even if the plaintiff indicates otherwise, since there seems to be a pattern.
While Thomas encourages students to reach out, she acknowledged that it may be difficult to immediately come forward after an upsetting incident has occurred. Above all else, she wants students to feel comfortable.
“When they are ready, we are here to support them, help them understand their options, and assist in whatever way feels most appropriate for their situation,” Thomas shared.
In addition to timing, another concern students may have is deciding whether an issue is worth disclosing, which Thomas addressed by stating that any uncertainty is warrant enough.
“Students, or anyone who has had these experiences here at GRCC, do not need to determine on their own whether something “qualifies” as a Title IX or discrimination concern before reaching out,” Thomas stated. “If there is any uncertainty, we encourage them to connect with us so we can help assess the situation and provide guidance.
“We can help talk through the situation, explain options, and connect them with the appropriate resources.”
