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XI. Reporting and Confidentiality

An individual who reports allegations of prohibited conduct under this policy, whether the Complainant or a witness, can be assured that all reports will be taken seriously, and that each individual will be treated with dignity, respect, and in a non-judgmental manner from the initial report to the final result. Similarly, a Respondent can expect to be treated fairly and respectfully from the initial report to the final result. A Respondent is presumed to be not responsible for the alleged conduct until a determination regarding responsibility is made at the conclusion of the University’s Title IX Grievance Process. When making a responsibility determination, the University uses the Preponderance of the Evidence Standard as the standard of proof. All students, employees, and third parties are strongly encouraged to promptly report all incidents of sexual harassment, gender-based harassment, or sexual misconduct that they experience and/or observe to the Title IX Coordinator. This allows for the Title IX Coordinator to connect the Complainant with resources and support both on and off campus. A report does not automatically trigger an investigation. In most cases, the affected individual decides if they want to pursue a formal investigation of the report. An investigation occurs when the Complainant submits a signed formal complaint to the Title IX Coordinator, or when the Title IX Coordinator submits a formal complaint. When a report of sexual misconduct is made, a preliminary assessment of the reported information is made in order to respond to any immediate health or safety concerns. When a complaint or report of sexual harassment is made under the University’s policy, the Title IX Coordinator (or designee) will:

  1. confidentially contact the Complainant to offer supportive measures, consider the Complainant’s wishes with respect to supportive measures, and inform them of the availability of supportive measures with or without the filing of a formal complaint;
  2. explain the process of how to file a formal complaint;
  3. inform the Complainant that any report made in good faith will not result in discipline; and
  4. respect the Complainant’s wishes with respect to whether to investigate, unless the Title IX Coordinator determines it is necessary to purse the complaint in light of health or safety concerns for the community. If the report is from a third party, the Title IX Coordinator may reach out to the reporting party to gain additional information if needed.

The University presumes that reports of prohibited conduct are made in good faith. A finding that the alleged behavior does not constitute a violation of the University’s Policy or that there is insufficient evidence to establish that the alleged conduct occurred as reported does not mean that the report was made in bad faith.