CRO is an impartial office that responds to reports of discrimination, harassment and retaliation based on protected categories. Protected categories are defined by law and University policy and include: race, color, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, religion, sex, gender, gender expression, gender identity, gender transition status, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, medical condition (cancer-related or genetic characteristics), genetic information (including family medical history), marital status, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, or veteran or military status.
If you have been accused of Prohibited Conduct or are the subject of a formal complaint, the Civil Rights Office can provide you with supportive measures and information about University policies.
Below are some resources that may be helpful.
Take Care of Yourself
There are many Confidential and Private Resources available to you, including the Arthur Ashe Student Health and Wellness Center, which offers counseling and mental health services for students, and the Staff and Faculty Counseling Center, which offers counseling services for faculty and staff.
Reach out to trusted contacts for support during this time, such as family members, friends, or advisors.
Prepare for Possible Next Steps
Familiarize yourself with the University’s applicable policies, either the Anti-Discrimination Policy and/or the Sexual Violence Sexual Harassment Policy, and the formal and alternative resolution processes in those policies.
If a case involving you proceeds to a resolution process, a CRO team member will contact you to discuss the process.
Be sure to follow any University directives during this time that may require some action on your part, such as a mutual avoidance of contact directive. Throughout the process, CRO will work with you to identify reasonably available supportive measures.
It can be very challenging to be accused of Prohibited Conduct or to be the subject of a complaint, and you may wish to confide in others. At the same time, it is important to maintain the integrity of a resolution process, and you should therefore be thoughtful about your choice of trusted contacts.
You have the right to be accompanied at any meeting or proceeding by an advisor of your choice, who may be any person, including an attorney, as long as they are not a party. (Under the Anti-Discrimination Policy, witnesses may not serve as advisors.) At a student’s request, the University will provide an advisor. The University may restrict the extent and manner of the advisor’s participation in the proceedings as long as restrictions apply equally to Complainants and Respondents.
For more information on what an advisor is and what they do, visit our Frequently Asked Questions.
Be careful to refrain from taking any action that could be perceived as retaliation. Retaliation is an adverse action against someone because they reported or disclosed discrimination or harassment, or participated in or assisted with a complaint, investigation or resolution process (for example, by being a witness). Retaliation includes threats, intimidation, coercion, reprisals or adverse employment or educational actions. Please contact CRO if you have questions about what constitutes retaliation.
Be sure to follow University directives during this time that may require some action on your part, such as a mutual avoidance of contact directive. Be aware that you are responsible for retaliation that occurs through your actions. If your friends retaliate, you might be held responsible.
