use tab and shift-tab to navigate once expanded

Confidentiality Requirements

Information About Confidentiality Requirements for Students Participating in Investigation and Adjudication Processes.

 

Information for Witnesses

During the process of investigation and adjudication: All parties are bound by confidentiality completely during the process of investigation and adjudication.  This requirement is crucial to protect the integrity of the process.  This means that all parties involved in the process (complainant, respondent, witnesses and advisors) are forbidden to discuss the case or to share written materials related to the case with anyone.  The only exceptions to this confidentiality requirement are as follows:

 

  1. Students may discuss their experiences, including experiences regarding the case, with the staff support people at Sexual Assault Survivor Services, Health Services (including medical and psychological practitioners) or the Chaplain’s office – these individuals are confidential resources.
  2. Participants may discuss their experiences regarding the case with confidential health, mental health, and chaplaincy professionals off campus.
  3. Students may discuss the case with their parents.

 

If students believe there are others with whom it is important to speak, they should inform the Title IX deputy for students (Dean Long), who will endeavor to enable them to access support while maintaining the confidentiality that is promised to all parties.

 

After the case concludes completely (including any appeals of the disciplinary decision of the college), the rules of confidentiality change somewhat.   In particular:

  1. The materials and information learned in the disciplinary process itself are confidential. No participant in the case may share any written materials of the case – including but not limited to the no contact order, investigator’s report, finding and sanctioning letters, emails from the Title IX deputy or advisor – with others.  The only exceptions to this rule are the students’ parents and  mental health counselors.
  2. Each student’s experience is their own, and they may discuss it with others if they wish to do so, with certain limitations. Witnesses may share that they were a witness in a sexual misconduct case and how they felt about it.  They may not share the name or any other identifying information about the complainant, respondent or any witnesses.

 

Examples:  This is a complex process, and students are encouraged to ask their advisors or the Title IX deputy for students about any questions.  To help make things clearer, here are some examples of the way that confidentiality works after the conclusion of the case. A witness could say “I a witness in a case about a violation of college policy with regards to sexual misconduct” or “I felt that the allegations were false” or “I thought the investigator was biased in her questions”.   They could not, though, name the complainant or respondent.  Nor could they name the other witnesses who were called, or discuss in any way information that they learned through the process of the adjudication.  The only exceptions to this rule would be if they wished to discuss their situation, in confidence, with an attorney, with their parents, or with counselors, religious professionals or therapists.

 

Advice:  We strongly recommend that all students involved be very thoughtful and cautious about with whom and how they discuss the issue at all.  There are several things to keep in mind.  First, if a witness discusses the matter with friends even without naming the complainant or other information they learned through the investigation, the friends may still surmise who the complainant is, and they might act in a way that is either retaliatory or that causes the matter to become much more public.   It turns out that we all have far less control of what others do with information than we might like, and in a small community that can get very difficult very quickly.  That’s bad for the witness in two ways: first, if retaliation is linked back to the witness, it’s a serious disciplinary concern.  And second, once rumors start spreading on a campus of this size, they go everywhere essentially instantly, and can lead quickly to mutual back-and-forths of public accusation which are terrible for all involved and are almost impossible to rein in.  If you do decide to discuss your experience with friends, you will want to be very specific about what you do and don’t want them to do with the information you’ve shared.  Any dean or the Title IX deputy for students (Dean Sandstrom) can assist you with those conversations and talk with your friends if you would like.

 

 

Information for Respondents

 

  1. During the process of investigation and adjudication: All parties are bound by confidentiality completely during the process of investigation and adjudication. This requirement is crucial to protect the integrity of the process.  This means that all parties involved in the process (complainant, respondent, witnesses and advisors) are forbidden to discuss the case or to share written materials related to the case with anyone.  The only exceptions to this confidentiality requirement are as follows:

 

  1. Students may discuss their experiences, including experiences regarding the case, with the staff support people at Health Services (including medical and psychological practitioners) or the Chaplain’s office – these individuals are confidential resources.
  2. Students may discuss their experiences regarding the case with confidential health, mental health, and chaplaincy professionals off campus.
  3. Students may discuss the case with their advisors, provided that those advisors have been made aware of their responsibilities to keep the facts and process of the case confidential.
  4. Students may discuss the case with their parents.

 

If students believe there are others with whom it is important to speak, they should inform the Title IX deputy for students (Dean Bolton), who will endeavor to enable them to access support while maintaining the confidentiality that is promised to all parties.

 

Violations of confidentiality represent additional violations of the code of conduct, and will cause a new conduct process to be initiated.   Violations of confidentiality may also constitute retaliation (see below).

 

Retaliation is harmful action taken against someone who has filed a complaint, provided testimony, or in some other way participated in a disciplinary investigation or process. It could also include actions taken against someone who has intervened as a bystander to stop or attempt to stop harassment, discrimination, or misconduct.

It can include intimidating, threatening, coercing, or discriminating against an individual because of their participation in a disciplinary process, or because they opposed behavior that was in violation of our Code of Conduct.

If the actions directed at that individual would deter a reasonable person in the same circumstances from reporting misconduct, participating in a disciplinary process, or opposing behavior in violation of our Code of Conduct, it is deemed retaliatory.

  1. After the case concludes completely (including any appeals of the disciplinary decision of the college), the rules of confidentiality change somewhat. In particular:
  2. The materials and information learned in the disciplinary process itself are confidential. No participant in the case may share any written materials of the case – including but not limited to the no contact order, investigator’s report, finding and sanctioning letters, emails from the Title IX deputy or advisor – with others.  The only exceptions to this rule are the students’ parents, mental health counselors, and advisor (provided that the advisor has been made aware of their privacy responsibilities).
  3. Each student’s experience is their own, and they may discuss it with others if they wish to do so, with certain limitations. Respondents may share that they were a respondent in a sexual misconduct case, how the case turned out, and how they felt about it.  They may not share the name or any other identifying information about the complainant or any witnesses.

 

Examples:  This is a complex process, and students are encouraged to ask their advisors or the Title IX deputy for students about any questions.  To help make things clearer, here are some examples of the way that confidentiality works after the conclusion of the case. A respondent could say “I was accused of a violation of college policy with regards to sexual misconduct” or “I was suspended for two years” or “I felt that the allegations were false”.   They could not, though, name the complainant.  Nor could they name the other witnesses who were called, or discuss in any way information that they learned through the process of the adjudication.  So, they could not tell people what the complainant said, or what other witnesses said, during the case.  Nor could they share the investigator’s report or letters about the process and its outcomes with others.  The only exceptions to this rule would be if they wished to discuss their situation, in confidence, with an attorney, with their parents, or with counselors, religious professionals or therapists.

 

Advice:  We strongly recommend that all students involved be very thoughtful and cautious about with whom and how they discuss the issue at all.  There are several things to keep in mind.  First, if a respondent discusses the matter with friends even without naming the complainant or other information they learned through the investigation, the friends may still surmise who the complainant is, and they might act in a way that is either retaliatory or that causes the matter to become much more public.   It turns out that we all have far less control of what others do with information than we might like, and in a small community that can get very difficult very quickly.  That’s bad for the respondent in two ways: first, if retaliation is linked back to them, it’s a serious disciplinary concern.  And second, once rumors start spreading on a campus of this size, they go everywhere essentially instantly, and can lead quickly to mutual back-and-forths of public accusation which are terrible for all involved and are almost impossible to rein in.

 

 

If you do choose to talk with friends about your experience, we advise that you be direct with them about how you do or don’t want them to act on the information.  Your dean or the Title IX deputy for students (Dean Sandstrom) can assist you in thinking through these issues or in talking with your friends if you would like.

 

 

Information for Complainants

 

  1. During the process of investigation and adjudication: You are bound by confidentiality completely during the process of investigation and adjudication.  This requirement is crucial to protect the integrity of the process.  This means that all parties involved in the process (complainant, respondent, witnesses and advisors) are forbidden to discuss the case or to share written materials related to the case with anyone.  The only exceptions to this confidentiality requirement are as follows:

 

  1. Students may discuss their experiences, including experiences regarding the case, with the staff support people at Sexual Assault Survivor Services, Health Services (including medical and psychological practitioners) or the Chaplain’s office – these individuals are confidential resources.
  2. Participants may discuss their experiences regarding the case with confidential health, mental health, and chaplaincy professionals off campus.
  3. Students may discuss the case with their advisors, provided that those advisors have been made aware of their responsibilities to keep the facts and process of the case confidential.
  4. Students may discuss the case with their parents.

 

If students believe there are others with whom it is important to speak, they should inform the Title IX deputy for students (Dean Long), who will endeavor to enable them to access support while maintaining the confidentiality that is promised to all parties.

 

  1. After the case concludes completely (including any appeals of the disciplinary decision of the college), the rules of confidentiality change somewhat.   In particular:
  1. The materials and information learned in the disciplinary process itself are confidential. No participant in the case may share any written materials of the case – including but not limited to the no contact order, investigator’s report, finding and sanctioning letters, emails from the Title IX deputy or advisor – with others.  The only exceptions to this rule are the students’ parents, mental health counselors, and advisor (provided that the advisor has been made aware of their privacy responsibilities).
  2. You may share your experiences – including talking about the initial incident and the investigation/adjudication process – with others if you wish to do so.

 

 

Advice:  We recommend that all students be thoughtful and cautious about with whom and how they discuss their experiences.   On a small campus information shared with even close friends is sometimes spread in ways one doesn’t expect, with unintended consequences.  Sometimes friends will jump to take up the issue with the respondent or their friends, with the result being a public back-and-forth.  If you do choose to talk with friends about your experience, we advise that you be direct with them about how you do or don’t want them to act on the information, so that you retain control of how your story is shared if you wish to have that control.  Your dean, any member of Sexual Assault Survivor Services, or the Title IX deputy for students (Dean Sandstrom) can assist you in thinking through these issues or in talking with your friends if you would like.