Any person who has been the victim of or witness to a sexual assault whether on or off campus can report directly to the Department of Campus Safety, a Residential Life staff member, any college official or the Keene Police Department. This does not obligate the reporting person to proceed any further with an investigation or criminal charges.
Any person identified as a Campus Security Authority* as defined by the Clery Act who receives information regarding a sexual assault is obligated to share that information with the Director of Campus Safety for the purposes of Clery Act reporting and compliance. This information can be shared without identifying the victim via a “Confidential Report of Sexual Assault” form available from Campus Safety and/or the Dean of Students Office. This does not obligate the reporting person to talk with Campus Safety or to proceed any further with a report or investigation. In most cases, students will be encouraged to talk with Campus Safety so they can be best advised on their options for proceeding with a college and/or police investigation.
*A Campus Security Authority is defined as an individual or organization to which student and employees should report criminal offenses or an official of an institution who has significant responsibility for student and campus activities, including but not limited to, student housing, student discipline and campus judicial proceedings. An official is defined as any person who has the authority and the duty to take action or respond to particular isses on behalf of the institution. (U.S. Department of Education, 2011)
Confidentiality
The matrix below and the following section on Investigations of reports illustrates the most frequent offices to whom students report, what happens and with whom information is/isn’t shared. Confusion is understandable when words such as “confidential” and “private” are not universally understood.
For the purposes of this policy, confidential means that the communication is legally privileged and that the individual the student is reporting to is not obligated to disclose the information to anyone else. Generally, this standard is enjoyed by health professionals including counselors, and legal counsel.
Private conveys that the information will be shared only with those individuals with a need to know and that all necessary precautions will be taken to protect the identity of the victim and/or reporting student.
Options for On Campus Reporting of Sexual Assault, Harassment or Other Sex Crimes
| What will happen? | Counseling Center | Center for Health & Wellness | Campus Safety | Res Life |
| Disclosure of report to others | Confidential | Confidential | Private | Private |
| Campus Safety Investigation | No | No | Case specific | Case specific |
| Keene Police Investigation | No | No | Case specific | Case specific |
| Limited Administrative Notice | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Anonymous Notification to Campus Community | No | No | Case specific | Case specific |
| Medical Exam w/SANE* Nurse (*Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner) | No | No | No | No |
| Medical Services | No | Yes | No | No |
Other Options for Reporting Sexual Assault
| What will happen? | Monadnock Ctr for Violence Prevention | Keene Police | Hospital |
| Confidential | Yes | No | Yes |
| Campus Safety Investigation | No | Case specific | No |
| Keene Police Investigation | No | Case specific | Case specific |
| Limited Administrative Notice | No | Case specific | No |
| Anonymous Alert to Students | No | Case specific | No |
| Medical Exam w/SANE* Nurse (*Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner) | No | No | Yes |
| Medical Services | No | No | Yes |
Cost for medical and other expenses
When a victim reports a sexual assault and seeks treatment at the hospital, the cost for medical expenses, including te physical examination, will be paid by the State of New Hampshire Office of the Attorney General if the assault is reported to the police. Other expenses related to the assault may also be provided at no cost to the victim through the Office of Victim/Witness Assistance. Specific information on expenses is available through the Monadnock Center for Violence Prevention.
Making a report to Campus Safety
Students can file a report of sexual assault with Campus Safety at any time regardless of where or when the incident occurred. A report does not obligate a student to file charges either with the campus conduct office or with the relevant law enforcement agency. Campus Safety will provide a female officer to take the report if desired by the reporting student. The reporting student may have one support person with them during any Campus Safety interviews or conversations.
Reports to Campus Safety of sexual assault (and other crimes and incidents) are noted in the daily log as required by federal law, however no personally identifiable information on the reporting individual is released. Campus Safety will also file an anonymous report of sexual assault with the Keene Police Department (or other department if the incident occurred in another jurisdiction).
In making the report, Campus Safety will:
- Encourage the student to go to the hospital emergency room or the Center for Health and Wellness for medical services and offer to transport and/or accompany the student.
- Provide resources to speak directly with the on-call counselor, an advocate from the Monadnock Center for Violence Prevention, or KSC’s Sexual Assault Victim Assistance provider for support in understanding, evaluating, and choosing among the services described in this protocol.
- Inform the student of his/her rights and options including the options of filing charges through the student conduct system and Keene Police
Information shared with Campus Safety is shared with others only on a need to know basis. A campus alert (without identifying the reporting student) may be issued in cases in which the incident presents a clear danger to the campus community. Any and all actions taken, including the possible release of a warning to the community, would be designed to protect the reporting individual’s identity.
Investigations of reports
In most cases, the reporting individual has the option of deciding whether Campus Safety and/or the Keene Police will investigate the reported assault. An investigation of the incident by Campus Safety would include questioning of all parties involved and gathering property otentially associated with the assault. Campus Safety will make all efforts to maintain the reporting student’s anonymity during the investigation. The reporting student’s identity will not be revealed to the press, discussed in Campus Safety radio transmissions that might be monitored or discussed in any public area.
If a reporting student chooses to pursue a full investigation, he or she will have the option of filing charges when it has been completed. If the student pursues disciplinary action through the college, the results of the investigation will be released to the coordinator of student conduct, hearing board members, the reporting student, and the accused student in compliance with federal law. If the reporting student decides to file criminal charges through the Keene Police, the results of the investigation will be released to the County Attorney’s Office (CAO). The CAO will evaluate the case to determine if the case will move forward to a trial.
The health and safety of a reporting student is of primary concern. Campus Safety will refer the student to appropriate campus offices for support with possible changes in living arrangement for safety reasons and help in managing academic demands.