14.10 Protection of Impacted Parties, Reporting Parties, and Others

(Amended 1/20; 3/20)

1. Impacted parties will be informed of relevant procedural steps taken during the investigation and any interim protective measures taken. An impacted party may be accompanied by an advocate and other support persons during the investigation process if the impacted party so desires.
2. Throughout the investigation and resolution of a complaint, steps will be taken to protect impacted parties, reporting parties, witnesses, and others from harm caused by continuation of the alleged harassing behavior.
3. Retaliation against impacted parties, reporting parties, and/or witnesses who provide information during an investigation pursuant to this policy is prohibited by II-11 Anti-Retaliation. Reasonable action will be taken to assure that impacted parties, reporting parties, and/or witnesses suffer no retaliation as a result of their activities with regard to the process.
4. Steps that may be taken to protect impacted parties, reporting parties, witnesses, and others from continued harassment and/or retaliation might include:
   1.  lateral transfers of one or more of the parties in an employment setting and a comparable move if a classroom setting is involved, and
   2.  arrangement that academic and/or employment evaluations concerning reporting parties or others be made by an appropriate individual other than the responding party.
5. Any retaliation against impacted parties, reporting parties or witnesses should be reported pursuant to the Anti-Retaliation Policy (II-11). Retaliation may result in disciplinary action against the person committing the retaliatory act(s).
6. The Provost, a dean, a DEO, or any vice president may, at any time during or after an investigation of allegations of harassment, place on leave or otherwise restrict from employment and/or access to campus any responding party if the Provost, dean, DEO, or vice president finds that it is reasonably certain that:
   1. the employee engaged in harassment in violation of this policy, and
   2. serious and immediate harm will ensue if the person continues to be present at work. Similarly, if the responding party is a student, interim sanctions may be imposed pursuant to Section 10 of the Student Misconduct Procedure.