Notifying the Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination about an incident of discrimination or harassment can feel intimidating, especially if you're not sure what happens next. This page debunks some common myths about OPHD to help you understand how reporting can connect you or someone else who has been impacted to support.
In summary, reports enable the University to promptly respond to alleged discrimination and harassment. When OPHD receives a report, they contact the impacted person to share information about their rights, options, and resources. The impacted person has agency and gets to decide what they want to do next.
Myth #1: If something is reported to OPHD, they automatically investigate.
After an incident is reported to OPHD, the office will assess the report and send an initial outreach to the person directly impacted by the incident alleged in the report (referred to as the "Complainant"), even if the "Complainant" did not make the report themselves. In the initial outreach, OPHD will offer the Complainant information about their rights, options, and resources. There is no obligation to respond. The Complainant has agency and gets to decide what they want to do next.
A complainant may decide they only want OPHD to help with them supportive measures, or they may want OPHD to conduct a targeted educational conversation. Others may choose to participate in an Alternative Resolution. Some complainants choose instead to participate in an investigation, which could lead to discplinary action for the respondent if they are ultimately found responsible for a policy violation. Many complainants choose to discuss their options with a confidential resource, like the PATH to Care Center, and have an advocate present when they meet with OPHD.
The respondent (the person who was alleged to have engaged in prohibited behavior) is not automatically informed of a report. In many cases, supportive measures can be arranged for the complainant without the respondent knowing at all.
Only in rare cases, OPHD may learn from assessing a report that there is a threat of danger to campus community members that is must act upon immediately to keep people safe.
Myth #2: If a complainant is in contact with OPHD, they will have to give OPHD all the details of what happened.
When a complainant speaks with OPHD, they can share as much or as little as they wish about the reported incident. Most types of supportive measures can be arranged for a complainant without the complainant needing to go into much detail about what happened. A complainant may wish to speak with a confidential resource, like the PATH to Care Center, to discuss how much they want to share with OPHD.
Retelling details of what happened can be a distressing and re-traumatizing experience. OPHD staff are trained to approach interviews using trauma-informed practices to minimize distress as much as possible. Complainants may have a support person present during interviews, use soothing tools, and take breaks or stop the interview if they need.
It's important to know that if OPHD may be limited in how much it can respond if it does not have enough information.
Myth #3: OPHD can't do anything to help me, there's no point in going there if you don't want an investigation
Not all reports made to OPHD eventually end up in an investigation. In fact, most do not. This can be for many reasons for this, including that the complainant did not want an investigation, OPHD was not given enough information to conduct an investigation, or the allegations in the report would not, if found true, be a violation of a university policy.
There are a number of other ways OPHD can offer to help anyone impacted by discrimination or harassment. Some examples include:
- Supportive measures, including no-contact directives
- Targeted educational conversations
- Alternative Resolutions
- Consultations with department or organization leaders
Myth #4: Reporting to OPHD takes away the agency of the survivor
After a report is made to OPHD, OPHD will send an initial outreach to the person directly impacted by the incident alleged in the report to offer them information about their rights, options, and resources. There is no obligation to respond. The impacted person ("Complainant") can decide whether or not they want to participate in any resolution option offered by OPHD. Unless there is a threat of danger to the campus community that requires immediate action to keep people safe, OPHD will not initiate invstigations without Complainant participation.
If you are a Responsible Employee and a survivor discloses an experience to you, you are encouraged to let the survivor know of your reporting obligations as early in the disclosure as possible. That way, the survivor can decide how much information they wish to share with you. You can also let the survivor know that OPHD will reach out to them with information about their rights, options, and resources, and that they can choose whether or not they wish to respond to the outreach.