individual with victim advocate services and counseling support, initiating a criminal investigation as appropriate and answering questions about the criminal process.
The University seeks to create an environment where its students and employees are free, without fear of reprisal, to use its procedures to determine if there has been a violation of their civil rights. Any act of retaliation will result in appropriate disciplinary action.
Retaliation is defined as any adverse action taken against a person participating in a protected activity because of their participation in that protected activity. Retaliation against an individual for alleging a violation of their civil rights, supporting a complainant, or for assisting in providing information relevant to a claim, is a serious violation of this policy. Acts of alleged retaliation should be reported immediately to the Title IX Coordinator.
All initial contacts will be treated with the maximum possible privacy: specific information on any complaint received by any party will be reported to the Title IX Coordinator, but, subject to the University’s obligation to investigate and redress violations, every reasonable effort will be made to maintain the privacy of all those involved. In all cases, the University will give consideration to the complainant with respect to how the complaint is pursued but reserves the right, when necessary to protect the community, to investigate and pursue a resolution when a complainant chooses not to initiate or participate in a formal complaint. From the time of the initial complaint, the Title IX Coordinator will make every effort to resolve within 60 days.
The Title IX Coordinator is charged with coordinating the University's response to reports of misconduct under this policy and federal guidelines provided by OCR. At times, a trained designee will be appointed to further investigate complaints filed. The role of the Title IX Coordinator or designee is a complex role that: