Student Handbook 2024-2025

How to Report a Complaint

If your complaint involves conduct of a sexual nature, domestic violence, dating violence, or stalking, please refer to the Sexual Misconduct and Interpersonal Violence Policy.

All other complaints involving conduct prohibited by this policy should immediately be reported to the EEO Coordinator, National Director of Human Resources, 3101 Clifton Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45220, (513) 487-3215.

Alternately, you can make a report or complaint to the Student Support Help Desk, (844) 317-HELP.

If you believe that criminal conduct has been committed, you are encouraged to contact the local police department and/or dial 911 for emergencies.

After receipt of a complaint (or after being put on notice of conduct that may violate this policy), the EEO Coordinator for your campus will take a statement from you regarding what happened. That EEO Coordinator will ask you to describe the accused individual(s) and may ask questions about the scene of the incident, any witnesses, and what happened before and after the incident. If necessary, a referral to the local police department may be made at that time. You may have a support person with you during the interview. Unless you request confidentiality and the College is able to honor that request, an investigation into the incident will begin promptly after you report the incident.

In addition to reporting a complaint to the EEO Coordinator, you may also report a complaint to or seek information from federal or state agencies such as:

  • The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”)
    • Chicago Office (for Cincinnati campus): (312) 886-8434
    • San Francisco Office (for Los Angeles campus): (415) 556-4275
    • New York City Office (for NY campus): (212) 637-6466
  • The Ohio Civil Rights Commission (“OCRC”), Cincinnati Regional Office: (513) 852-3344
  • The State of California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (“DEFE”): (800) 884-1684 (toll free for complaints and information)
  • The New York City Equal Employment Practices Commission: (212) 240-7902
  • The New York State Human Rights Commission on Discrimination Complaints: (212) 306-7450

Interim Measures

If your complaint involves conduct of a sexual nature, domestic violence, dating violence, or stalking, please refer to the Sexual Misconduct and Interpersonal Violence Policy.

Interim measures, also known as accommodations, are available upon receipt of a report of discrimination or harassment and prior to the resolution of a complaint, as appropriate. Available interim measures include, but are not limited to, restrictions on contact between an alleged victim and an alleged perpetrator (“no contact” orders); changes in academic or living situations; access to counseling, health, and mental health services at no cost; academic support; victim advocacy; and escort services. If appropriate, the Title IX Coordinator, National Director of Human Resources, generally will offer interim measures upon receipt of a report of sex discrimination, sexual misconduct, domestic violence, dating violence, or stalking. Individuals requesting additional interim measures or experiencing difficulty obtaining interim measures that have been approved should immediately contact the EEO Coordinator.

Interim measures will be offered to a complainant regardless of whether the complainant chooses to participate in a hearing against the accused or whether the complainant chooses to report the incident to law enforcement. To the extent possible, any interim measures that are provided will be confidential.

Protective Measures

In addition to the interim measures described above, other protective measures also may be available by contacting law enforcement and/or the local prosecutor’s office. For example, in addition to the normal criminal process, law enforcement and/or the local prosecutor’s office may assist a student in obtaining a protection order. A protection order is a temporary order intended to help provide safety and protection to victims of certain crimes. If you have a protection order against someone and that person violates the protection order in any way, law enforcement may be able to arrest that person and charge that person with a violation of the protection order. To the extent possible, any protective measures that are provided will be confidential. If needed and to the extent necessary, HUC-JIR will provide assistance in obtaining a protection order.

Please see the EEO Coordinator for your campus for more information about these protective measures, including for contact information for local law enforcement and/or the local prosecutor’s office.

Investigation

If your complaint involves conduct of a sexual nature, domestic violence, dating violence, or stalking, please refer to the Sexual Misconduct and Interpersonal Violence Policy.

While all investigations will vary due to the individual circumstances surrounding the particular complaint, investigations falling under this policy will typically involve the following:

  1. Preliminary review of the complaint by the EEO Coordinator to determine whether probable cause exists to believe a violation of this policy occurred.
  2. Assignment of the investigation from the EEO Coordinator to an investigative team of no fewer than two (2) persons who have been trained annually to investigate complaints.
  3. Notification to the accused that an investigation has commenced.
  4. Interviews of the complainant, the accused, and any witnesses. The accused shall be provided a copy of any written complaint or otherwise informed of the substance of the complainant’s allegations. Similarly, the complainant shall be provided with a copy of any written response provided by the accused or otherwise informed of the substance of the accused’s response to the allegations.
  5. Gathering and examining of relevant documents or evidence (e.g., law enforcement investigatory records, student and/or personnel files, etc.). Both the complainant and respondent will be asked to provide a list of possible witnesses as well as any written or physical evidence (e.g., test messages, social media postings, emails, photos, medical records, etc.) that they wish to be considered by the investigatory team.
  6. Preparation of an investigatory report complete with a summary of interviews, relevant documents, findings, and recommendations for further action.

Both the complainant and the accused have a right to be accompanied by one support person of his or her choosing during any meeting with an investigator. That support person should not be someone who may be considered a witness. The purpose of the support person is to provide support, not advocate or impede the investigation.

Disciplinary/Adjudication Procedure

If your complaint involves conduct of a sexual nature, domestic violence, dating violence, or stalking, please refer to the Sexual Misconduct and Interpersonal Violence Policy and the Complaint/Grievance Policy - Sexual Misconduct and Interpersonal Violence.

Upon completion of its report, the investigatory team will deliver the report to the EEO Coordinator. In the event that the EEO Coordinator finds that there are reasonable grounds to believe that a violation of this policy has occurred, the EEO Coordinator will issue a notice of violation in writing to the accused and provide a copy of that notice to the complainant. Any notice of violation will also include a recommendation with regard to disciplinary action. In the event that the EEO Coordinator does not find that there are reasonable grounds to believe that a violation has occurred, the EEO Coordinator will notify both the complainant and the accused in writing of that finding.

If either party feels aggrieved by the findings, he or she may challenge those findings through the College’s applicable grievance procedure. The procedure for challenging those finding through a grievance can be found in the policy titled “Complaint/Grievance Policy - Discrimination and/or Harassment.”

Possible Discipline/Sanctions

Possible discipline or sanctions for engaging in discrimination and/or harassment may include:

  • Oral warning
  • Letter of warning or reprimand, and a copy placed in the student’s file
  • Probation
  • Forced leave of absence
  • Suspension for a defined period of time
  • Dismissal from the College