Office of Equal Opportunity & Diversity

SPARC Training

CUNY has implemented a program called SPARC (Sexual & Interpersonal Violence Prevention And Response Course) to provide students with this training. SPARC is an online training module developed by SUNY in collaboration with CUNY that educates students* about sexual misconduct, ways to prevent it, and the campus’ response to a complaint. The content has been customized to reflect New York State requirements and CUNY policies.

To access the SPARC course, log onto Blackboard. On the Home page, look for My Organizations and the Training course will be listed. If you do not see the course, please contact Student Affairs at studentaffairs@law.cuny.edu.

*NOTE: All incoming students (first-year and transfers) are required to complete SPARC training as are student government members, student leaders and members of other student groups designated by the Law School and CUNY.

E-SPARC Training

In compliance with New York State law and CUNY Policy, CUNY employees are required to complete the Employee Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response Course (E-SPARC), which covers sexual harassment, gender-based harassment and sexual violence, at least once every academic year.

This training is available to employees via CUNY Blackboard. Once in Blackboard, the link to complete the training can be found in the My Organization section. Employees may access Blackboard at any point during the duration of the academic year to begin the course. To reduce any technical difficulties, employees should plan on completing the training in one sitting – this means not pausing and exiting the course. Doing so may result in your completion not being recorded in Blackboard.

View our brief guide on how to access the E-SPARC course on Blackboard.

The CUNY School of Law is committed to providing equal employment and educational opportunity to all persons without regard to race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, transgender, disability, genetic predisposition or carrier status, alienage or citizenship, prior arrest record, or marital, military, or veteran status. It is a violation of this policy for any member of the college community to engage in discrimination or to retaliate against a member of the community for raising an allegation of discrimination, filing a complaint alleging discrimination, or for participating in any proceeding to determine whether discrimination has occurred.

The college’s equal opportunity policy incorporates, as applicable, the nondiscrimination and affirmative action obligations set forth in federal, state, and local law including, but not limited to: Executive Order 11246, as amended, the Equal Pay Act of 1963, as amended, Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights of 1964, as amended, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, as amended, Sections 503 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, as amended, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974, as amended, New York State Human Rights Law and the New York City Civil Rights Law, as well as the policies of the City University’s Board of Trustees.

As an urban institution in the City of New York we are committed to the concept and values of pluralism and diversity, we seek to have its workforce reflect the diversity of its student body, the surrounding community, and the representation of qualified individuals available in the labor force.

Pursuant to law “protected groups” are defined for affirmative action purposes as: Black (non-Hispanic)/African American, Hispanic, Asian or Pacific Islander, and American Indian or Alaskan Native, women, special disabled and Vietnam Era veterans, and individuals with disabilities. Moreover, in accordance with the University Chancellor’s mandate of 1976, Italian-Americans are also designated an affirmative action protected category within CUNY.

CUNY encourages people with disabilities, minorities, veterans and women to apply. At CUNY, Italian Americans are also included among our protected groups. Applicants and employees will not be discriminated against on the basis of any legally protected category, including sexual orientation or gender identity. EEO/AA/Vet/Disability Employer.

CUNY Affirmative Action

It is our policy to recruit, employ, retain, promote, and provide benefits to employees (including paid and unpaid interns) and to admit and provide services for students without regard to race, color, creed, national origin, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, age, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth and related conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, marital status, partnership status, disability, genetic information, alienage, citizenship, military or veteran status, status as a victim of domestic violence/stalking/sex offenses, unemployment status, or any other legally prohibited basis in accordance with federal, state and city laws.

We also provide reasonable accommodations when appropriate to individuals with disabilities, individuals observing religious practices, employees who have pregnancy or childbirth-related medical conditions, or employees who are victims of domestic violence/stalking/sex offenses.

It is a violation of this policy for any member of the college community to engage in discrimination or to retaliate against a member of the community for raising an allegation of discrimination, filing a complaint alleging discrimination, or for participating in any proceeding to determine whether discrimination has occurred.

Individuals who experience discrimination or sexual misconduct may file complaints with my office which will be investigated in a fair and impartial manner. CUNY requires that you initially report complaints of discrimination and retaliation (not sexual misconduct) by using the CUNY Complaint Reporting Portal.

The report will then be sent to Michael Valente, Chief Diversity Officer, who will review the report thoroughly and take appropriate action, which may include reaching out to you for more information and to explore next steps. A report may be made anonymously. An anonymous report will be taken seriously and reviewed thoroughly; however, the ability to investigate an anonymous report and pursue further action may be limited.

Discrimination & Retaliation Complaint Reporting Portal
Equal Opportunity & Non-Discrimination Policy
Notice of Non-Discrimination
Reasonable Accommodations and Academic Adjustments

Combating Sexual Assault and Other Unwelcome Sexual Behavior

Anyone of any gender, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, citizenship status, race, class or educational level can suffer from sexual harassment, including sexual violence. Our goal is to help you understand what sexual harassment means and let you know that there are people at CUNY and in the community who can help if you or others experience it. We want to make sure you understand your rights as a student, CUNY’s policies, and other issues related to sexual harassment and assault.

Combating Sexual Misconduct

On August 12, 2020, the CUNY Board of Trustees adopted a revised Policy on Sexual Misconduct, effective August 14, 2020. This revised Policy supersedes and replaces CUNY’s prior policy and will govern CUNY’s response to allegations of Sexual Misconduct based on conduct alleged to have occurred on or after August 14, 2020. The revised Policy was necessitated by changes to the federal regulations implementing Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (“Title IX”), 20 U.S.C. §§ 1681-1688. These new regulations were announced on May 6, 2020, and became effective on August 14, 2020.

Although the new regulations significantly limit the behavior that constitutes Sexual Harassment within the definitions of Sexual Misconduct, CUNY will continue to investigate, prosecute and adjudicate all allegations of Sexual Misconduct that fall outside the new narrower definition of Title IX Sexual Harassment. Further, CUNY’s revised Policy allows for close scrutiny of all reported allegations of Sexual Misconduct. CUNY remains committed to ensuring that its students, faculty, and staff learn and work in an environment free from Sexual Misconduct. CUNY will continue its zero-tolerance toward any form of Sexual Misconduct, while complying with the mandates of the Education Amendments of 1972 (“Title IX”), 20 U.S.C. §§ 1681-1688.

Lastly, CUNY is resolute in its mission to respond to any allegation of Sexual Misconduct that may affect the CUNY community.

CUNY School of Law Title IX page
CUNY School of Law Title IX powerpoint
CUNY Sexual Misconduct Complaint Form
CUNY Students’ Bill of Rights
Policy on Domestic Violence and the Workplace
Policy on Gender-Based Violence and the Workplace
Policy on Sexual Misconduct
Reasonable Accommodations and Academic Adjustments
Reasonable Accommodations Request Form
Stop Sexual Harassment Act Notice
Time Off for Religious Observances
Time to Vote 2020 Notice to Employees
Workplace Violence Incident Reporting Form
Workplace Violence Policy