Maine Maritime Academy > Campus Safety > Sexual Harassment, Misconduct, and Title IX

Sexual Assault Resources header

Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Resources

Sexual harassment, assault, and violence have no place in our community. If you are in need of assistance, there are resources available for you on campus, and we will also help you to access off-campus resources. Use the accordion menu and links below to find on-campus and off-campus resources, report an incident, or file a complaint.

Maine Maritime Academy is committed to maintaining a safe environment for our students, faculty, and staff. Sexual harassment, assault, and violence have no place in our community.

If you are in need of assistance, there are resources available for you on campus.

MMA’s Title IX Coordinator, Dr. Elizabeth True, can help you:

  • learn about and understand your options
  • file an official complaint
  • request medical attention or to have evidence collected at the hospital
  • request supportive measures such as a no-contact order, changing classes or housing

Elizabeth True
Title IX Coordinator
elizabeth.true@mma.edu
(207) 326-2659

If you need immediate assistance, please contact MMA’s Campus Safety office by email at campussafety@mma.edu or by phone at (207) 326-2479. If would like a callback from the Title IX Coordinator, please provide a number for a callback.

If you are in an emergency situation, please call 911.

Title IX Committee

MMA’s Title IX Committee is comprised of students, faculty, and staff from across campus.

Faculty and staff representation includes: Elizabeth True, VP Student Affairs and Enrollment, Title IX Coordinator; Janet Acker, Kelly Gualtieri, Jennifer Norwood, Sharon Catus, Taylor Martin, Bryce Potter, Dana Polojärvi, Deidra Davis, John Cashman, Joceline Boucher, Stephen Peed, Emily Baer, Nicholas Starbird, Tricia Carver, Christine Skwiot, Travis Wallace, Pamela Dewell

Student representation includes: Roxanna MacGregor, Miles Stanton, Briana Mays, John Watt

Counseling Services

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday | 8 AM to 4 p.m.
Wednesday | 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.

We are offering remote counseling only at this time and walk-in appointments are not available.

If you have questions regarding MMA’s Counseling Services or would like to make an appointment, please contact Paul Ferreira, MSW, LCSW, Counselor, and Prevention Education Coordinator, at (207) 326-2419. You may also email counseling@mma.edu. If you would prefer to meet with a female counselor, please indicate so when contacting counseling services.

Hancock County Sheriff’s Department

If you would like to request assistance from the Hancock County Sheriff’s department but would like MMA staff to help you coordinate contact or support you through that process, please contact the Title IX Coordinator.

The Title IX Coordinator will help you contact the HCSD so they can send an officer to initiate a report.

If you would like to seek assistance outside of Maine Maritime Academy, there are several resources in the local community to support your needs.

Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault

The Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MeCASA) provides a 24-hour statewide sexual assault crisis and support line. If you would like to:

  • learn about options
  • access a victim’s advocate or counselor
  • request medical attention or to have evidence collected at the hospital
  • file a police report

Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault: 1-800-871-7741

MeCASA also offers online chat support with patient advocates throughout the week, Monday through Friday, between 8 a.m. – 8 p.m., at https://www.mecasa.org/online-help.html

Hancock County Sheriff’s Office

To contact the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office, please call (207) 667-8866.

50 State Street, Suite 10
Ellsworth Maine 04605

If you are in an emergency situation, please call 911.

Regional Hospitals

To seek immediate medical attention, please go directly to the hospital. In our region, all Northern Light hospitals (including in Bangor, Blue Hill, and Ellsworth), Waldo County General Hospital, and St. Joseph Hospital have Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANEs). Each SANE nurse is a trained staff member who can collect evidence; call in advance to assure that a SANE nurse is on duty.

Eastern Maine Medical Center
Bangor, Maine
(207) 973-8000

Northern Light Blue Hill
Blue Hill, Maine
(207) 374-3911

Northern Light Ellsworth
Ellsworth, Maine
(207) 664-5311

St. Joseph Hospital
Bangor, Maine
(207) 907-1000

Waldo County General Hospital
Belfast, Maine
(207) 505-4123

Next Step Shelter

If you are the victim of domestic violence or stalking and need to request confidential assistance, contact the Next Step Shelter in Ellsworth.

1-800-315-5579
https://www.nextstepdvproject.org

AMHC Sexual Assault Services: Drop-in Sessions

Drop in to ask questions, gather information, or just talk with an advocate about what you are experiencing. All services are free and confidential for students, faculty, and staff.

Please be aware that AMHC is not affiliated with Maine Maritime Academy.  Speaking with the advocate at AMHC is a confidential, off-campus interaction. If you wish to report an incident of sexual misconduct to Maine Maritime Academy, please contact MMA’s Title IX Coordinator, Elizabeth True, at elizabeth.true@mma.edu.

Office Hours:
Virtual Office hours will resume this fall; be check back then for our session schedule and link.

Submitting a report via this form does not mean you are submitting a formal complaint to the MMA Title IX Coordinator. Submitting an anonymous report provides the Academy with important information regarding the prevalence of sexual misconduct on campus; however, the Academy is unable to investigate or act upon such information. If you choose to provide contact information, the Title IX Coordinator will follow up with information about options and offer supportive measures. Providing your contact information is not the same as filing a formal complaint with MMA’s Title IX Coordinator. That is one of the options that will be offered to you.

This form may be used to submit reports of incidents of sexual harassment and other sexual misconduct or domestic violence. Examples might include unwelcome sexual contact or advances; sexual assault; unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature communicated verbally, physically, or through social media; stalking; domestic violence; or exclusion from an activity based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

Yes, you can. Witnesses or those who have been told of an incident of sexual harassment or misconduct can report such incidents via this form or by contacting MMA’s Title IX Coordinator, Elizabeth True, at elizabeth.true@mma.edu.

The intent of this form is not to collect your information if you wish to remain anonymous, but to gather information about incidents at MMA. This form does not collect any identifying information unless directly provided in the form by the submitter, including identifying computer information such as IP address.

This form does not require the submitter to be on the Maine Maritime Academy network.

Reports made through this form are available only to the Title IX Coordinator and Investigators. If you choose to remain anonymous, the information in the report will be added to statistics and data collection and, if the incident is considered a “reportable” crime under the Clery Act, will be included in the Academy’s crime statistics.

If you provide contact information, the Title IX Coordinator will contact you regarding resources and options.

The Title IX Coordinator and Investigators are committed to honoring your privacy in this process and only sharing information on a need-to-know basis.

Should you decide to file a formal complaint, the information in the report will be shared with one of the Title IX Investigators who will investigate the complaint. Only the Academy staff involved in Title IX investigations have the ability to view the information in the report form.

If you filed an anonymous report, you may file a follow-up report and indicate that this is linked to your initial report and not a separate incident. If you provide your contact information, you can share this additional information with the Title IX Coordinator or Investigator.

To file a formal complaint with MMA’s Title IX Coordinator, Elizabeth True, please contact her at elizabeth.true@mma.edu or 207-326-2659.

Maine Maritime Academy is committed to maintaining a safe environment for our students, faculty, and staff. Sexual harassment, assault, and violence have no place in our community.

Maine Maritime Academy Title IX brochure (PDF)

Title IX Policies and Procedures

How to File a Title IX Complaint

To file an official complaint, please contact MMA’s Title IX Coordinator or Investigator as soon as you are able:

Title IX Coordinator
Elizabeth True
202 Leavitt Hall
207-326-2659
Elizabeth.True@mma.edu
Title IX Investigator
Deidra Davis
Curtis Hall
207-326-2138
Deidra.Davis@mma.edu

Please also contact Campus Safety at 207-326-2479 and review Policy 201.2 regarding MMA’s Title IX Sexual Harassment Complaint Procedures if you are able.

How to request confidential assistance after a sexual assault without making a Title IX Complaint

If you do not wish to make an official Title IX Complaint, but would like to request confidential assistance, please:

  • Contact Counseling Services. We are offering remote and in-person counseling at this time. If you have questions regarding MMA’s Counseling Services or would like to make an appointment, please contact Ferreira@mma.edu, MSW, LCSW, Counselor, and Prevention Education Coordinator, at (207) 326-2419. You may also email counseling@mma.edu. If you would prefer to meet with a female counselor, please indicate so when contacting counseling services.
  • Contact the Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MeCASA). MeCASA is organized to end sexual violence and to support high-quality sexual violence prevention and response in Maine communities. Free, private support is available 24/7.If you need help, call 1-800-871-7741.

Amnesty Statement:

Maine Maritime Academy strongly encourages students who believe that they are victims of or witnesses to sexual misconduct to immediately report that misconduct.

Students who report sexual misconduct will not be disciplined for alcohol violations that are disclosed by their report or disclosed during a related follow-up and are related to the events surrounding the reported misconduct.

Policies & Procedures

Policy 201.1: Procedure on Discrimination, Harassment, Sexual Harassment, and Affirmative Action Complaints
This policy establishes a procedure for receiving and investigating student, employee, applicant and any other complaints regarding discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment and affirmative action.
Read Policy

Policy 201.2: Title IX Sexual Harassment Complaint Procedure
This policy defines and proscribes sexual harassment and explains how complaints will be handled by the Academy under Title IX regulations.
Read Policy

POLICY 604: Student Sexual Misconduct and Assault, Stalking, and Relationship Violence
This policy defines and proscribes non-consensual sexual activities, stalking, dating violence, and domestic violence not governed by Title IX.
Read Policy

Training of Title IX Coordinator and Investigator

MMA’s Title IX Coordinator and Investigator complete annual trainings to ensure the Academy’s compliance with federal regulations and best practices.

Title IX Audit Report

In Fall 2020, Maine Maritime Academy engaged the services of an outside legal firm to conduct an audit of our policies, procedures, and practices regarding Academy responses to allegations of sexual assault and to conduct a review of recent cases. Allen Kropp, an attorney at Drummond Woodsum who formerly worked for the federal Office of Civil Rights and has extensive expertise in Title IX compliance, conducted the audit.

To be clear, this is a legal review of our Title IX policies, procedures, and practices to determine if we are complying with the law. A separate Culture of Respect Collective (CRC) was launched to explore our current climate, assess where we are, and identify areas for improvement. This two-year NASPA sponsored Culture of Respect Collective guides MMA through a comprehensive audit of our campus culture and develops a plan to address systemic issues of inequity at MMA.

While the audit report does not directly address culture, it contains insightful observations and provides clear recommendations. The Title IX Advisory Committee and the administration are reviewing the recommendations and will develop a timeline for implementation.

Read Audit Report

MMA’s Title IX Committee is comprised of students, faculty, and staff from across campus.

Faculty and staff representation includes: Elizabeth True, VP Student Affairs and Enrollment, Title IX Coordinator; Janet Acker, Kelly Gualtieri, Jennifer Norwood, Taylor Martin, Bryce Potter, Dana Polojärvi, Deidra Davis, John Cashman, Joceline Boucher, Emily Baer, Nicholas Starbird, Tricia Carver, Christine Skwiot, Travis Wallace, Pamela Dewell, Sharon Catus

Student representation includes: Roxanna MacGregor, Miles Stanton, Briana Mays, John Watt

Culture of Respect

In 2020, MMA applied for and was accepted into NASPA’s Culture of Respect Collective. This ambitious two-year program is dedicated to ending sexual misconduct on college campuses. As the first maritime college to participate in this innovative program, we are proud to join a cohort of institutions around the country that are seeking to create meaningful change.

Our goal is to create an environment where all students feel welcome and respected. We value their unique contributions to our community. We will continue to create opportunities for students to learn about others’ experiences so that they become impactful, responsible leaders.

– Dr. Elizabeth True, Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management

The Culture of Respect program will guide a committee of MMA students, faculty, and staff through a self-assessment process designed to create a positive shift in our campus culture. The committee will undertake this work as part of a national cohort. “Each diverse cohort relies on an expert-developed public health framework, cross-campus collaboration, and peer-led learning to make meaningful programmatic and policy changes. Participating institutions receive strategic support and technical assistance throughout the process, as well as detailed documentation of campus-initiated changes that support survivors, prevent sexual violence, and communicate that violence is unacceptable.