Charges:
If a police investigation indicates that criminal charges are warranted, the alleged assailant(s) will be charged with the appropriate offense(s) at a preliminary arraignment. Victims do not need to be present at this stage. The defendant(s) may be jailed or released on bail depending upon the circumstances of the crime. Suspects are typically ordered by the Court to have no contact with the victim as a condition of bail. A victim who is contacted by an alleged assailant or who feels threatened in any way should immediately call the police. In such cases, bail can be revoked and additional charges filed, if necessary.
Responding to assaults
If you have been sexually assaulted or harassed by a member of the college community, such complaints should be filed with the Title IX Coordinator (Executive Director of Human Resources). In addition, the Vice President of Student Affairs, the Director of Student Life/ Athletic Programs or the Director of Security and Safety are available to assist you with this process.
Maintaining personal security
At the victim’s request, the Dean of Student Affairs may be able to make special provisions for an alternate class schedule during the period of investigation. Other special support can also be provided upon request.
College disciplinary action
In addition to potential criminal court proceedings, perpetrators of sexual assault face significant potential sanctions under the College’s judicial system. If you have been assaulted and are considering whether or not to pursue campus disciplinary action, you are encouraged to discuss the matter with the Title IX Coordinator or Director, Student Life (See Contact Information). This will enable you to review procedures should you decide to file formal charges through the College’s disciplinary system. This discussion does not obligate you to pursue official action. If you decide to pursue the disciplinary process, charges may be filed directly by you or by the college on the basis of your written statement. Such charges would be handled in accordance with the procedures relating to violations of the College’s Student Code of Conduct. For more information on these proceedings, consult the student handbook or college catalog.
To recap, a student who is the victim of a rape or sexual assault has several options with regard to how the case is handled. The student may choose to:
- Press charges through the local police;
- Press charges through the college disciplinary system;
- Press charges through both systems concurrently;
- Press no charges but alert the college to the incident.