Page 17 — Dear Colleague Letter: Sexual Violence
- arranging for the complainant to re-take a course or withdraw from a class without penalty, including ensuring that any changes do not adversely affect the complainant's academic record; and
- reviewing any disciplinary actions taken against the complainant to see if there is a causal connection between the harassment and the misconduct that may have resulted in the complainant being disciplined.[1]
Remedies for the broader student population might include, but are not limited to: Counseling and Training
- offering counseling, health, mental health, or other holistic and comprehensive victim services to all students affected by sexual harassment or sexual violence, and notifying students of campus and community counseling, health, mental health, and other student services;
- designating an individual from the school's counseling center to be "on call" to assist victims of sexual harassment or violence whenever needed;
- training the Title IX coordinator and any other employees who are involved in processing, investigating, or resolving complaints of sexual harassment or sexual violence, including providing training on:
- the school's Title IX responsibilities to address allegations of sexual harassment or violence
- how to conduct Title IX investigations
- information on the link between alcohol and drug abuse and sexual harassment or violence and best practices to address that link;
- training all school law enforcement unit personnel on the school's Title IX responsibilities and handling of sexual harassment or violence complaints;
- training all employees who interact with students regularly on recognizing and appropriately addressing allegations of sexual harassment or violence under Title IX; and
- informing students of their options to notify proper law enforcement authorities, including school and local police, and the option to be assisted by school employees in notifying those authorities.
Development of Materials and Implementation of Policies and Procedures
- developing materials on sexual harassment and violence, which should be distributed to students during orientation and upon receipt of complaints, as well as widely posted throughout school buildings and residence halls, and which should include:
- what constitutes sexual harassment or violence
- what to do if a student has been the victim of sexual harassment or violence
- contact information for counseling and victim services on and off school grounds
- how to file a complaint with the school
- how to contact the school's Title IX coordinator
- ↑ For example, if the complainant was disciplined for skipping a class in which the harasser was enrolled, the school should review the incident to determine if the complainant skipped the class to avoid contact with the harasser.
