Resources in the Event of an Incident

Physical and sexual abuse of any kind (including sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking) and some forms of emotional abuse are violations of Middlebury policies (see Middlebury’s Non-Discrimination Policy).  If you experience sexual misconduct (including sexual assault), dating or domestic violence, sexual harassment, or stalking remember that it is not your fault. Please reach out to the director of your School Abroad program and/or other location-specific resources (see below) so that we can work with you to identify and meet your needs and support your safety. Middlebury can offer a variety of supportive options, resources, and accommodations in your host country to work with you on how best to address your immediate and long term medical, emotional, academic or other concerns related to your experience.

We hope the following information about reporting, obtaining support, care, resources and accommodations, and about applicable law enforcement procedures and options, will be helpful to you as you assess your needs. Because the laws, protocols and resources of each country are different, not all of the information below will necessarily apply to your program location. As such, we urge you to consult the site-specific information and resources below (including legal resources) to help inform you about the options available to you at your program site.

Getting Care and Support

Go to a safe place—your own room/residence, a friend’s residence, or anywhere you will feel safe. If your safety is in immediate jeopardy, please see the emergency contact information below for your site. (Emergency contact information will also be given to you during your on-site orientation, and you should save this information in your cell-phone for easy access.)

Call someone you trust. No matter how late it is, you should not be alone. Call your School’s director, a close friend, or your roommate. You can also contact Pathways to Safety (https://pathwaystosafety.org/). Pathways to Safety advocates are available 24/7. You can reach them by calling their institutional toll-free crisis line (https://pathwaystosafety.org/contact-us/).

To find your AT&T USA Direct Access number start here: (https://www.business.att.com/collateral/access.html?c=0).  Dial the access code.  At the prompt, dial 833-SAFE-833 (833-723-3833). When you have finished speaking to an American Overseas Domestic Violence Crisis Center advocate, hang up and then lift the receiver, dial any number and hang up again. This way, if someone presses the redial button on the phone, they will not be connected to the Americans Overseas Domestic Violence Crisis Center. If you suspect that anyone abusive can access your email, consider creating an additional email account on a safer computer. Do not create or check this new email account on a computer that the abuser could access, in case it is monitored. In addition, if you suspect that the abuser has access to your computer, then he/she might be able to see that you have viewed the Americans Overseas Domestic Violence Crisis Center web site.

Your director can also connect you with appropriate resources, including the police if you choose to report to law enforcement.

We strongly encourage you to seek immediate medical attention because of immediate health risks (e.g., sexually transmitted diseases), even if you’re not sure if you have any physical injuries. Confidential pregnancy testing, emergency contraception, and/or testing for HIV and other sexually transmitted illnesses for both men and women are services that are most likely available in your area. (Please see the site-specific resources for your School below).

There may also be forensic exam services available in your area. Forensic evidence may be helpful to you now or in the future if you choose to file a complaint. If you wish to have a forensic exam and the incident occurred within the last 24 hours, if possible, try to preserve any evidence before your medical exam by not washing or changing clothes, brushing teeth or hair, eating, or other actions that might compromise evidence. Even if more time has passed, it may still be possible to collect evidence, and it is certainly possible to receive medical care and testing.  For further information regarding the collection of evidence and whether such collection would obligate you to make a report to the police that could lead to criminal prosecution, please consult the applicable resources (including legal resources) at your School Abroad location (see the site-specific information below). Each jurisdiction may have different rules/laws concerning the collection and preservation of evidence.

Consider talking with a counselor or calling a toll-free crisis hotline. You may not feel ready to talk about what happened, but counselors can provide a confidential and safe space to explore any feelings or challenges that have arisen for you after your experience. They can also provide confidential support while you are exploring your options.

Contact information for confidential resources is available for each School Abroad location (see links below). Contacting a confidential resource in no way precludes you from choosing to make a report later to a Human Relations Officer (HRO), the Civil Rights and Title IX Coordinator, or local authorities.

Filing a Report

We are always deeply concerned when behavior that may constitute sexual misconduct, dating or domestic violence, stalking or sexual harassment comes to our attention, and we would very much like to gather more information. We encourage you to file a report with Middlebury by contacting your program director, a Human Relations Officer (HRO), or the Civil Rights and Title IX Coordinator (see contact information below).  Our policies are designed with the needs of students and employees in mind, and we make every effort to conduct investigations with care and sensitivity. If you are considering filing a complaint against a Middlebury student, faculty or staff member or other individual who participates in Middlebury’s program(s) but want to learn more about the investigation process before doing so, consider requesting an informational meeting with your director, an HRO, or the Civil Rights and Title IX Coordinator. You do not need to share any information about your experience during this conversation, and you are welcome to bring a support person with you if that would be helpful.

You also have the right to report the incident to the police and/or seek a protective order from a court, in countries where this is available (or to choose not to do so). Middlebury will provide assistance if you decide to pursue either option. If you would like to request such assistance, or would just like to learn more about these options, please contact your School Abroad director, an HRO or the Civil Rights and Title IX Coordinator. Your Director can also connect you with local attorneys who can provide confidential advice on your options regarding contacting law enforcement and accessing the judicial system in the applicable jurisdiction.

Retaliation by Middlebury, and/or by any member of the Middlebury community, against someone because they have reported an incident or participated in an investigation is prohibited by Title IX, the Clery Act and/or by Middlebury’s own policies. Middlebury will take steps to prevent retaliation and will take strong responsive action if retaliation occurs.

Mandatory Reporting Requirements for Non-Confidential Staff and Faculty

Students, faculty and staff should be aware that any staff or faculty member who learns of an incident of sexual misconduct, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, harassment, discrimination or related retaliation must report this information to Middlebury’s Civil Rights and Title IX Coordinator, Human Relations Officer, or a Human Relations Officer unless their status as a confidential resource precludes this disclosure. Confidential resources include medical, counseling support, religious personnel and volunteers and lawyers who are required by law to maintain confidentiality.

Middlebury will take reasonable, prompt and appropriate action to investigate and resolve complaints under its policies. However, if an individual discloses an incident of sexual misconduct but wishes to maintain confidentiality or requests that no investigation into a particular incident be conducted or disciplinary action taken, Middlebury will make every effort to respect this request and will evaluate the request against its responsibility to provide a safe, non-discriminatory environment for all students, faculty and staff, including the individual who reported sexual misconduct. Although rare, there are times when Middlebury may not be able to honor the individual’s request.

Additional Information and Resources

Reasonable interim measures, assistance, accommodations, and resources are available to you whether or not you decide to pursue or participate in an investigation process with Middlebury or make a report to the police. The information below outlines options for individuals who reportedly were or are being subjected to dating or domestic violence and/or sexual assault or stalking. It also includes an overview of available assistance, and how to request changes to academic, living, transportation, and working situations or protective measures. Middlebury will make such accommodations or provide such protective measures if the reported victim requests them and if they are reasonably available. These may include, but are not limited to, the following examples:

Counseling: on or off campus: Middlebury’s Employee and Family Assistance Program (“EFAP”) is available to provide confidential counseling to employees. There are also counseling resources off campus. Contact information is listed below.

Academic accommodations:  If your experience is compromising your ability to meet your academic obligations, your School Abroad director can work with you to arrange for appropriate accommodations. These may include extensions on assignments, support to drop a class after the deadline, Incompletes, changes to your academic schedule, or other possibilities.

No Contact Orders: No Contact Orders are Middlebury’s non-disciplinary measures to ensure that two or more individuals are not permitted to communicate directly or indirectly with each other, or be within a specified distance of each other, for a period of time. In most cases, No Contact Orders are put in place at the request of one or both parties, but in some circumstances, Middlebury may put in place a No Contact Order to preserve the safety of both parties and other community members.



Living situation accommodations and room changes: It is sometimes possible to relocate people on a temporary or permanent basis when two individuals’ residential proximity feels unsafe or disruptive. Temporary accommodations may sometimes include providing a second residential space for an individual to access on a short-term basis for additional privacy.

Visa and Immigration Assistance: If you have questions or concerns about how your experience and needs may intersect with your visa and/or immigration status, please contact your School Abroad Director (for questions regarding your Visa status in your host country) or  International Student & Scholar Services (for questions regarding your Visa status in the United States) (see contact information for Middlebury International Student & Scholar Service below).

Student Financial Aid Assistance: If you have questions or concerns about student financial aid-related issues, please contact Student Financial Services. Your program director may also assist you with facilitating this process.

Additional measures: Other arrangements, such as work accommodations or transportation options, can be made on a case-by-case basis to provide students or employees with additional distance from the other party, or to address their needs related to their experience. We encourage you to share your needs candidly with your program director, so we can work with you to address them. Requests for any of these or other accommodations or assistance can be directed to your program director, an HRO, the Civil Rights and Title IX Coordinator, dean of International Programs, or associate dean, International Programs & Off-Campus Study. Please see contact information below.

Evidence: In addition to trying to preserve any of the physical evidence referenced above (see “Getting Care and Support”), if possible, try to preserve all evidence related to an incident or incidents, including any electronic information, text messages, social media posts, phone records, e-mails, clothing, or other documentation or materials. Even if you don’t feel like you want to pursue an internal or criminal proceeding or a protection order at this time, it’s a good idea to preserve the evidence in a safe place in case you change your mind at a later date.  You may also want to consider writing down all of the details you remember about your experience(s) while they are still as fresh as possible.

Orders of Protection: In addition to (or instead of) Middlebury’s processes, individuals who are being or who may have been subjected to sexual misconduct, dating or domestic violence, and/or stalking also may have the right to pursue orders of protection, restraining orders and/or relief from abuse orders from courts outside of the United States, as applicable. Middlebury will provide assistance as requested to individuals who wish to make contact with law enforcement authorities and other external resources to seek such orders, and Middlebury will respect and assist with the implementation of protection orders to the extent practicable.

Privacy: Middlebury will not include personally identifying information about individuals when it completes publicly available recordkeeping, including Clery Act reporting and disclosures, and will maintain as confidential any accommodations or protective measures provided to individuals to the extent that maintaining such confidentiality would not impair Middlebury’s ability to provide the accommodations or protective measures.

Investigations and Adjudications

As detailed in Middlebury’s Non-Discrimination Investigations & Resolutions Procedure investigation and adjudication procedures:

• are prompt, fair, and impartial from the initial investigation to the final result;
• are conducted by officials who receive, at a minimum, annual training on the issues related to dating violence, domestic violence, sexual misconduct and stalking, and on how to conduct an investigation and adjudication process that protects the safety of victims and promotes accountability;
• provide both parties with the same opportunities to have others present during any related meeting, including the opportunity to be accompanied to any related meeting or proceeding by an advisor of their choice;
• provide for simultaneous notification, in writing, to both parties of:
  • the result of institutional disciplinary proceedings
  • the institution’s procedures for the complainant and the respondent to appeal the result of institutional disciplinary procedures, if available
  • any change to the result before it becomes final, and
  • when the result becomes final;
• are conducted in a manner that is consistent with the institution’s policies and transparent to both parties;
• include timely notice of meetings at which the complainant and respondent may be present; and
• are conducted by officials who do not have a conflict of interest or bias for or against the complainant or the respondent.

The language of Middlebury’s Non-Discrimination Policy  and Non-Discrimination Investigations & Resolutions Procedure controls in specific cases over the language of the summary contained in this document.

Middlebury utilizes trained, experienced investigators to conduct investigations into complaints of sexual misconduct, domestic violence, dating violence, and/or stalking, and utilizes trained, experienced administrators to make the official determination as to whether the policies under investigation were violated.  All meetings involve one-on-one conversations with investigators or administrators to which each party can bring an advisor of their choice.  Generally, if the misconduct occurred outside of the United States,there is no in-person hearing at which parties have to testify formally in front of a panel, or interact with or be cross-examined by each other.

When a report of misconduct covered by Middlebury’s Non-Discrimination Policy is made to one of the individuals identified above, an investigator is assigned. In general the process proceeds as follows:

• The investigator interviews parties and witnesses, and collects evidence.
• The investigator submits a report with a recommended finding, a rationale for that finding, and the evidentiary materials to the Human Relations Officer (HRO), who is responsible for making the official determination.
• Both parties may meet with the HRO before the official determination is made. This meeting may be conducted using videoconferencing, if necessary.
• The HRO uses the preponderance of the evidence standard (that is, “more likely than not”) to determine whether the policies under investigation have been violated. If a policy violation is found, the sanctions are determined by a designated Middlebury administrator based on the status of the respondent (e.g., whether the individual found to have violated policy is a student, faculty member, or staff member).
• Both parties are provided with equal appeal rights, as applicable, to the extent appeal rights are provided. The governing, detailed procedures are outlined further in the Non-Discrimination Investigations & Resolutions Procedure.

Sanctions for students found to have violated the Non-Discrimination Policy could include written reprimands, probationary status, official college discipline, or suspension or expulsion from any or all Middlebury program(s) in which the student is enrolled or participating. It may also include other non-disciplinary action as deemed appropriate under the circumstances (e.g., remedies applied to the respondent to address the needs of the complainant, including but not limited to room changes, class changes, building restrictions, extracurricular activity restrictions, modification of No Contact Orders to favor the complainant, and other actions to preserve the rights of the complainant to a safe environment). Although sanctions for violation(s) of this policy can include any form of discipline as stated in this section, students found to have committed sexual assault will most likely receive a sanction of suspension or expulsion.

Sanctions for employees found to have violated the Non-Discrimination Policy may include written reprimands, or suspension or termination of employment.  Non-disciplinary measures (e.g., no contact orders or reassignment of duties or work areas) might also be taken as deemed appropriate under the circumstances.

The complete Non-Discrimination Policy can be found at: http://www.middlebury.edu/about/handbook/policies-for-all/non-discrim-policies/b.1.a.non-discrimination-policy

Off Campus Resources

If you have experienced sexual misconduct, domestic or dating violence, or stalking, you are not alone. There are non-confidential and confidential resources at Middlebury (on campus or off campus) that can offer support, information, and care.

Schools Abroad Director

You will receive the office, and cell phone numbers of your School Abroad Director and other relevant staff members during your on-site orientation.  You should store this information in your phone so that you can contact them in case of any emergency.

Local Law Enforcement (Non-Confidential)

See site specific resources in navigation menu.

Sexual Assault Support & Help for Americans Abroad*

http://sashaa.org/. You can reach the SASHAA Crisis Center by calling their institutional toll-free crisis line (833-SAFE-833) or emailing them at crisis@pathwaystosafety.org. An advocate will reply to you within 72 hours.

To find your AT&T USA Direct Access number, click here.

Other General Resources and Information

Center for Changing Our Campus Culture

http://changingourcampus.org/about-us/not-alone/

http://changingourcampus.org/find-resources/ (Locate services and resources in your area to receive support if you are in a crisis situation or if you want to speak with an advocate).

National Domestic Violence Hotline (24 hour)*

800-799-SAFE

http://www.thehotline.org/

National Sexual Assault Online Hotline

Domestic Abuse Helpline for Men and Women*

888-743-5754

http://www.dahmw.org/

Stalking Resource Center

If you need immediate assistance, the Victim Connect* Helpline provides information and referrals for victims of all crime and can be reached at 855-4-VICTIM (855-484-2846).

http://www.victimsofcrime.org/our-programs/stalking-resource-center

Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN)*

800-656-HOPE (for men as well as women)

This comprehensive national resource includes a telephone and online hotline.

http://www.rainn.org

On Campus Resources

Civil Rights and Title IX Coordinator

Butterfly Boire

Middlebury College

213 Service Building

Middlebury, VT 05753

802-443-2147

 bboire@middlebury.edu

Senior Human Relations Officer

Thaddeus Watulak, J.D.

Middlebury College

215 Service Building

802-443-5741

twatulak@middlebury.edu

On-and Off Campus Support Services

Middlebury will not include the names of complainants or other identifying information in publicly available reports that are compiled as required by the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, and when issuing timely warnings as required by the Clery Act, will withhold as confidential the names of such individuals.  Employee and Family Assistance Program (Confidential-staff and faculty)

800-828-6025

http://www.middlebury.edu/offices/business/hr/staffandfaculty/benefits/EFAP

The Employee and Family Assistance Plan provides confidential counseling and referral services to reduce stress and improve the quality of life for employees. The EFAP provides confidential assessment and referral services, and short-term counseling. The services of the EFAP are free to employees, up to the limits of the plan.  All assistance is confidential; no one at Middlebury will know that an employee has used the EFAP.

Academic Support and Housing Assistance

Contact your Director (see site-specific information below)

Liz Ross

Associate Dean, International Programs and Off-Campus Study

Sunderland Language Center 126

802-443-5745

ebross@middlebury.edu

Carloz Velez (Schools Abroad)

Dean of International Programs

Middlebury College

Sunderland Language Center 125

Middlebury, VT 05753

802-443-5745

velezbla@middlebury.edu

Disability Services

Student Accessibility Services (Students only)

Jodi Litchfield, ADA Coordinator

Middlebury College

Service Building 207

Middlebury, VT 05753

802-443-5936

litchfie@middlebury.edu

Student Financial Aid

Student Financial Services (Middlebury Students)

Middlebury College

85 South Service Road

Middlebury, VT 05753

802-443-5158

SFS@middlebury.edu

Visa and Immigration Assistance

International Student & Scholar Services (Middlebury Students, faculty and staff)

Middlebury College

Service Building-Second Floor

Middlebury, VT 05753

802-443-5858

isss@middlebury.edu