Every student has the right to study and work in an environment free from misconduct. Misconduct can reach from violence, harassment, assault, rape, domestic violence, relationship violence, exploitation or manipulation, and stalking. Educational institutes should be committed to maintaining a code of conduct that creates an environment of trust and care rather than a hostile environment.
However, if any student faces misconduct in any form, they must speak with an attorney and ensure to take necessary legal action. Besides, you must know what to do after facing misconduct in college if you are a student.
Dealing with misconduct in college:
1. Support
Support in any form after misconduct can play a vital role in recovery. Several people might be available to help the victim of misconduct within the college or outside the institute. The victim of misconduct can also consider counseling and other additional resources provided by the college. Sach kind of support is one of the steps to overcome the incident.
2. Reporting misconduct to the college
The misconduct victim can choose to inform the college of the incident. The student must personally submit a misconduct report in an anonymous form or with identity, depending on their preference.
The misconduct report will be used to gather statistical data and to track the incident. The report might not be lodged as a formal complaint, but the student can choose to inform a college employee, such as the faculty or staff member, of sexual misconduct in the form of a formal complaint. The student can also file a complaint with the Title IX coordinator to initiate the investigation and conduct the process.
3. Police and legal authorities
Reporting the act of sexual misconduct to the police is necessary. Apart from reporting sexual misconduct to the police, the victim can also seek internal college support or directly conduct action with the help of an attorney.
The incident will be legally tracked concerning legal reports and evidence when the student reports misconduct to the police.
4. Lawyer
Speaking with the lawyer about the incident can be significantly helpful. The primary benefit of hiring a lawyer to handle a misconduct case is generally associated with evidence and witnesses. The student alone might be unable to gather evidence, witnesses, testimony, etc., individually.
In such cases, speaking to a lawyer and asking them to provide legal assistance and guidance will be essential. The student can rely on the lawyer for the legal process and ensure to seek justice with expected outcomes.
