Washington Administrative Code › Title 132B - Grays Harbor College › Chapter 132B-310 - Grievance rules - Title IX › Section 132B-310-040 - Complaint options

Current through Register Vol. 24-14, July 15, 2024
(1) Informal
			 resolution. Internal review and consultative process have been proven to be
			 desirable means of resolving problems.
An individual who believes he or she has been or is being
				harassed may choose to informally share information and seek advice from the
				equity resource director or one of the college's designated ombudspersons. The
				purpose of this informal procedure is to give the complainant a sounding board,
				to help make sure that the complainant becomes informed of the options
				available, and to effect an informal resolution of complaints where possible.
				These include, but are not limited to:
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Mediation through a liaison between parties.
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Mediation through a face-to-face meeting between
							 parties.
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Mediation through written correspondence between
							 parties. Every attempt will be made to keep this material confidential;
							 however, confidentiality cannot be guaranteed.
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Filing of an informal incident report with the
							 college equity resource director. The informal incident report will be shared
							 with the other party by the appropriate administrative supervisor for a
							 response no later than the end of the subsequent academic term. If over a
							 period of time, complaints continue to be received regarding the conduct of the
							 same individual, it will then be the responsibility of the administrative
							 supervisor to initiate a formal investigation of the merits of the complaints
							 against that individual. All incident reports and responses will remain in the
							 equity resource director's files for no more than six years.
If the complainant is satisfied at this point, he or she may
				decline to pursue the matter any further. No further action will be taken
				unless the complainant specifically requests such action or the college decides
				to pursue the matter on behalf of the college. Every attempt will be made to
				keep these discussions and materials confidential; however, confidentiality
				cannot be guaranteed.
Personnel action authority has been delegated to the college
				president, vice-president for administration, and vice-president for
				instruction. If a complainant brings an allegation to any one of these three
				administrators, that administrator will make a good faith effort to inform the
				employee of the complaint. However, the administrator will consider whether
				doing so would seriously impair the investigative process. It is the
				responsibility of these administrators to inform a potential claimant of their
				responsibility to so inform the other party.
(2) Formal. The complainant may file a formal
			 written complaint:
(a) At any point in the
			 process, whether an informal resolution has been attempted or not; or
(b) If a satisfactory resolution cannot be
			 obtained through the informal procedure.
The formal written complaint should include the times, dates,
				places and circumstances surrounding the allegation. The accused will be
				notified of the allegation at this point.
The investigative process begins with a preliminary meeting
				with the college's equity resource director or vice-president for student
				services. The purpose of this meeting is to orient the complainant to the
				formal complaint process. The complainant is encouraged to bring to this
				meeting any personal support person such as a friend, clergy, family member,
				professional counselor, etc., of the complainant's choice who is not, however,
				an employee of the college. These support persons will be encouraged to
				accompany the complainant through the remainder of the complaint process. Like
				the complainant, the accused will be encouraged to identify a support person
				such as a friend, clergy, family member, professional counselor, etc., who is
				not an employee of the college to accompany him or her through the remainder of
				the process.
Nothing herein shall be deemed to preclude an employee's right
				to union representation. If at any point either party secures legal counsel,
				the other party will be so notified immediately. The formal complaint will be
				referred for investigation to the vice-president for administration, the
				vice-president for instruction or the equity resource director if they have not
				previously been involved with the case, the selection to be made by the
				president. In appointing an investigator, the president should obtain such
				information as he deems appropriate. Because damage could result to the career
				and reputation of any person who is affected by a harassment complaint
				investigation, all investigations of and hearings on such matters will be
				conducted insofar as possible to protect the privacy of, and minimize suspicion
				toward, the accused as well as the complainant, until the matter is impartially
				resolved. Only those persons responsible for investigating and enforcing
				harassment complaints will have access to the investigative files during the
				pendency of any proceedings.