Know Your Rights

Everyone has the same rights in this process

All Parties have the right to: 

  1. Be immediately offered support, including information, resources and connections to counseling, advocacy, housing, transportation and health care, as well as academic support, as appropriate based on the situation.
  2. Be immediately offered a CWRU-implemented no contact order or no-trespass order, if appropriate. 
  3. Be immediately offered available assistance in changing academic, living, and/or working situations designed to enable a Party to feel safe and able to focus on their academic or professional success.
  4. Have CWRU maintain that support for as long as necessary, and that the offer of support is repeated in subsequent interactions as the Party’s situation changes.  
  5. Have CWRU offer and maintain that support for as long as necessary without regard to whether a Party has provided information in an investigation and/or chooses to participate in an investigation and, possibly, a hearing. 
  6. Participate or choose not to participate in any process, meeting or investigation occurring pursuant to this Policy.
  7. A fair and equitable investigation, in which both Parties are treated fairly, and with respect and sensitivity, at all times.
  8. Be informed of an investigation in writing (such as email) of the identity of the Parties involved (if known), the misconduct being alleged, the date and location of the alleged misconduct (if known), the policies and procedures which may be relevant to the decision to investigate or the outcome of the investigation, and possible sanctions. 
  9. Be timely informed in writing if the conduct being investigated changes, expands or if certain allegations are no longer part of the investigation, or if new or different policies and procedures, or sections of this Policy, become relevant to the investigation, its outcome and possible sanctions.
  10. Have this Policy and its procedures are followed in good faith.
  11. Freely choose whether to resolve a matter through an alternative resolution option (if all appropriate persons also agree) or investigation and, possibly, a hearing.
  12. Have all allegations of sexual harassment treated seriously by the Office for Equity.
  13. Present defenses to allegations of sexual harassment, and have those defenses investigated by the Office for Equity.
  14. Be informed of options to notify law enforcement authorities, including on-campus and local police, freely choose whether to report or not report to law enforcement, and be assisted and supported by CWRU in whatever choice is made.  
  15. Ask questions of the staff in the Office for Equity and to have those questions timely answered.
  16. Provide evidence, including one’s own account of what occurred, the names of witnesses and documents, to the investigator, and to have all relevant evidence considered in the investigation.
  17. The right to receive a draft of the Investigation Report, and then be able to review it, and respond to it, and to have that response become part of the final Investigation Report. 
  18. Request and receive regular updates on the status of the investigation and/or Resolution Process. 
  19. Have the investigation conducted and decisions made by persons who are properly trained.
  20. Have an Advisor present at all meetings and/or interviews associated with the investigation or resolution.
  21. Have CWRU compel the participation of faculty, staff and student witnesses in the investigation and resolution process.
  22. Be promptly informed of developments and decisions simultaneously as other Party(ies).