Advisors
Any person who is impacted by sexual harassment or sexual violence, and who is involved in a matter with the Office for Equity, has a right to an Advisor. An Advisor can be a person who is trusted by the person impacted by sexual harassment or sexual violence, such as a friend, coach, professor, mentor, parent or attorney, or a CWRU employee who is trained by the Office for Equity on the Sexual Harassment Policy and how to help others fully access their rights under that Policy. Advisors help people involved in a matter access and express their rights. Advisors help people articulate their needs for support, understand the parts of the Sexual Harassment Policy that apply to them, ask questions and obtain answers, and prepare for meetings. Advisors can support persons accused of violating the Sexual Harassment Policy.
To obtain an Advisor who is trained by the Office for Equity, let the Office for Equity know that you want one, or consult the list below and contact a trained Advisor on your own.
In addition to serving as an Advisor, the Sexual Harassment Policy also requires that Equity use trained CWRU employees to serve in other roles, including:
- Hearing Panel - people who review the Equity Investigation Report and listed to the parties and witnesses at a hearing, and decide whether the Sexual Harassment Policy has been violated.
- Hearing Panel Chair - the person who runs the hearing, asks questions of the people impacted by the sexual harassment or sexual violence, or the witnesses, and makes decisions about what questions are appropriate and what are not.
- Appeal Panel and Appeal Panel Chair - After a hearing, or at other points in the process, a matter under the Sexual Harassment Policy might be completed. Persons who are impacted by the sexual harassment or sexual violence may appeal those decisions, and the outcome of those appeals is decided by the Appeal Panel.
- Informal Resolution Facilitators - Often, after the Equity Investigation Report is issued, the persons impacted by the sexual harassment or sexual violence may want to explore resolving the situation. Equity trains facilitators to support the goal of reaching an agreement to resolve a matter.
- Investigators - People who investigate allegations of sexual harassment or sexual violence that may violate the Sexual Harassment Policy.
If you are a CWRU employee who is interested in serving in any of these roles, please contact the Title IX Coordinator. Training is held annually or when needed.
Pool Member Training
The Pool members receive annual training. This training includes, but is not limited to:
- The scope of the University’s Discrimination and Harassment Policy and Procedures
- How to conduct investigations and hearings that protect the safety of Complainants and Respondents, and promote accountability
- Implicit bias
- Disparate treatment and impact
- Reporting, confidentiality, and privacy requirements
- Applicable laws, regulations, and federal regulatory guidance
- How to implement appropriate and situation-specific remedies
- How to investigate in a thorough, reliable, and impartial manner
- How to uphold fairness, equity, and due process
- How to weigh evidence
- How to conduct questioning
- How to assess credibility
- Impartiality and objectivity
- How to render findings and generate clear, concise, evidence-based rationales
- The definitions of all offenses
- How to apply definitions used by the recipient with respect to consent (or the absence or negation of consent) consistently, impartially, and in accordance with policy
- How to conduct an investigation and grievance process including hearings, appeals, and informal resolution processes
- How to serve impartially by avoiding prejudgment of the facts at issue, conflicts of interest, and bias
- Any technology to be used at a live hearing
- Issues of relevance of questions and evidence
- Issues of relevance to create an investigation report that fairly summarizes relevant evidence
- How to determine appropriate sanctions in reference to all forms of harassment, discrimination, and/or retaliation allegations
Current Advisors and persons trained to perform other roles
Below is a list of CWRU employees who have been trained to serve as, among other things, Advisors. To obtain an Advisor, you may (1) contact the Office for Equity, which will reach out to trained Advisors and find one who is available to assist you; or (2) contact an Advisor directly to discuss your situation and assist you.
- Rebecca Benard- rbb53@case.edu - Faculty- Has served as an Advisor and Panel member for more then 5 years
- Carlier Myers- cxc70@case.edu - Staff - Has served as an Advisor and Panel member for more then 5 years
- Jean Seneff- jean@case.edu - Staff - Title IX is more than a law; it’s a promise that every individual, regardless of gender, deserves the opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive without fear of discrimination. It ensures that equality isn't just an ideal, but a standard we uphold for all. It brings meaning to my time at CWRU to be a part of the community that works towards this goal.
- Janée Kelly- jmk222@case.edu - Staff-
- Danny Manor- dxm178@case.edu - Faculty- Has served as an Advisor and Panel member for more then 5 years
- Jenn Brown- jmb113@case.edu - Staff -
- Michelle McCain - mrm292@case.edu - Staff -
- LynMarie Hamel - lxh5@case.edu - Staff - Has served as an Advisor and Panel member for more then 5 years
- Mailey Lorio - mtl76@case.edu - Staff -
- Nate Kruse - nbk17@case.edu - Faculty- Has served as an Advisor and Panel member for more then 5 years
- Pegah McDonald - pxz96@case.edu - Staff- After serving on panels as an Advisor and chairing a anel it is abudantly clear that this work is needed and vital.
- Sunniva Collins - skr@case.edu - Staff - I enjoy working with students and like helping, especially when things seem hard.
- Kristi Lehmer- kxl488@case.edu - Staff- I have been at CWRU for 10 years and the best part is engaging and interacting with our students and campus community. I hope to provide support and guidance in the areas needed.
- Melissa Van - mxv128@case.edu - Staff - Has served as an Advisor and Panel member for more then 5 years
- Karen Farrell - klc3@case.edu - Staff - Has served as an Advisor and Panel member for more then 5 years
- Ana Merdita - axm791@case.edu - Staff- Has served as an Advisor and Panel member for more then 5 years
- Ganapati Mahabaleshwar - ghm4@case.edu - Faculty -
- April Dix - ald111@case.edu - Staff -
- McKenna Uzelac - mru11@case.edu - Staff
Trained student advisor and panel members:
- Mira Schwarz - mss324@case.edu - Undergraduate Student - I have been an advisor for a year and love supporting and guiding people through this process
- Jared Neely - Undergraduate Student - jdn49@case.edu
- Nivedita Srinivasan -Undergraduate Student - nxs742@case.edu
- Anjali Bhuthpur - Undergraduate Student - akb162@case.edu
- Maryssa Shanteau-Jackson - Undergraduate Student - mxs1573@case.edu
- Hannah Chae - Undergraduate Student - hvc10@case.edu
- Lauren Bohatka - Graduate Student - lxb360@case.edu
- Jiya Vaidya - Undergraduate Student - juv@case.edu
- Neekkan Dey - Undergraduate Student - nxd223@case.edu
- Danielle Browne - Undergraduate Student - dfb50@case.edu
- Ankit Sharma - Undergraduate Student - axs2211@case.edu
Hearing Facilitators
- Rachel Hambrick- rsh58@case.edu
- Carmen Guess- cxg422@case.edu