Rights and Expectations by Party
Complainant: Rights and Expectations
Who is a Complainant?
A Complainant is an individual who is alleged to be the victim of conduct that could constitute Prohibited Conduct. A Complainant must be participating in, or attempting to participate in, a UWF program or activity at the time of filing a complaint, so a Complainant can be an employee or a student.
Support and Resolution
If you have experienced behavior which may fall under the Title IX policy, you have rights and resolution options including supportive measures, informal resolutions, and a formal grievance process. We know that there may be personal and valid reasons people choose to report or engage in the Title IX process to varying degrees. If you have further questions or wish to speak to someone, please call or stop by our office, or send us an email.
Safety
If there is an immediate threat to your safety or the safety of others, please call 911 or campus police at 850.474.2415.
Respondent: Rights and Expectations
Who is a Respondent?
A Respondent is an individual who has been alleged of engaging in Prohibited Conduct. A Respondent must be participating in, or attempting to participate in, a UWF program or activity at the time of filing a complaint, so a Respondent can be an employee or a student.
Assumption of Innocence
During any Title IX proceeding, the Respondent is treated as not-responsible until there is a final outcome. There may be times that Title IX staff may have an educational conversation at the request of the Complainant without a Formal Complaint being filed.
Support
We know that there may be personal and valid reasons people choose to report or engage in the Title IX process to varying degrees. If you have further questions or wish to speak to someone, please call or stop by our office, or send us an email. A Respondent may meet with Title IX staff at any time during the process to ask questions and/or seek support.
Charging
Once a Formal Complaint is filed, the Title IX staff will conduct outreach to the Respondent to coordinate an Intake Meeting to further explain the Respondent’s rights, resources (including Supportive Measures), and next steps in the process.
Safety
If there is an immediate threat to your safety or the safety of others, please call 911 or campus police at 850.474.2415.
Witnesses: Rights and Expectations
Who is a witness?
A witness is anyone who may have knowledge of an alleged incident or series of events which may violated the Sexual Harassment and Misconduct Policy.
The role of a witness is to participate throughout an investigation and/or hearing to provide information about an interaction(s) that has resulted in Title IX allegations. You may not have full knowledge of the situation in question, and that's okay. You will only be expected to share what you know.
A witness may be identified by a Complainant, a Respondent, or a Title IX Investigator. Witnesses are also protected from retaliation by any party associated with the case.
Investigations
After a formal complaint has been made, a Title IX investigator interviews the Complainant, Respondent, and any witnesses considered to have information to contribute to our understanding of the events, interactions, and resulting impacts. These interviews are conducted privately between you and the investigator, and the information shared will be included in a comprehensive Final Investigation Report.
Hearings
After an investigation has been completed, a live hearing will be conducted with the Complainant, Respondent, and their advisors in front of a trained Title IX Hearing Board. During the hearing, witnesses will participate one at a time to provide a brief opening statement and submit to questions from the Board or the advisors. Because a Final Investigation Report will compile all of the information shared during the investigation and given to the hearing board, you do not have to repeat your entire knowledge of the incident(s) during your opening statement but may need to answer clarifying questions about any information you may have knowledge of.
Support
Witnesses may be granted similar Supportive Measures as needed depending on their involvement in the case and the effects of the ongoing investigation.
Safety
If there is an immediate threat to your safety or the safety of others, please call 911 or campus police at 850.474.2415.
Advisors: Rights and Expectations
At any point during the grievance process described in the Sexual Harassment and Misconduct Policy, the parties may use an advisor of their choice, who may be, but is not required to be, an attorney. The University will not limit the choice or presence of an advisor for either the Complainant or Respondent in any meeting or grievance proceeding. Any advisor serves at the requestor’s own expense and initiative during the investigative process.
Participation
An advisor may actively participate in any meeting throughout the intake, investigation, and resolution process.
If a Complainant or Respondent does not have an advisor but would like one, the University will provide one free of charge.
Role of an Advisor
One of the primary roles of an advisor is to serve as a support person for the advisee and perform advising throughout the grievance process. This may include:
- Attending meetings
- Preparing a list of questions the advisee can anticipate
- Assist with gathering evidence and building a witness list
There is no required training for someone to serve as an Advisor however, we recommend that the Advisor educate themselves or be well versed in Title IX policies and regulations.
Cross Examination
The other primary role of an Advisor is to conduct cross-examination at any live hearings. Any questioning of Complainants, Respondents, Investigators or Witnesses MUST be done by the party’s advisor.
If you have a question or need to talk to someone about the information listed on this website, please contact the Title IX Coordinator, Jenny Hamilton, at 850.474.2175 or jhamilton@uwf.edu.
