1

Rights and Options after Filing a Complaint under McPherson College’s Sexual Misconduct Policy

The following information provides a summary of your rights and options after filing a complaint of sex discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual violence (including sexual assault), domestic violence, dating violence, or stalking at McPherson. Please contact the Title IX Coordinator or the Deputy Title IX Coordinator if you have any questions about this information.

  1. General Information
    • Options. Once you have made a complaint, you have several options, including, but not limited to:
      • Contacting parents or a relative
      • Seeking legal advice
      • Seeking personal counseling
      • Pursuing legal action against the perpetrator
      • Pursuing disciplinary action
      • Requesting that no further action be taken
      • Requesting further information about the investigation and resolution process
    • Notifying Authorities. If requested, the Title IX Coordinator or Deputy Title IX Coordinator will assist you in contacting local law enforcement regarding the incident. You may decline to notify such authorities.
    • Restraining Orders. If you have obtained or obtain a temporary restraining order or other no contact order against the alleged perpetrator from a criminal, civil, or tribal court, you may provide such information to the Title IX Coordinator or Deputy Title IX Coordinator. If provided, the College will take all reasonable and legal action to implement the order.
    • Requesting Changes to Your Current Situation or Other Protective Measures. Please inform the Title IX Coordinator or Deputy Title IX Coordinator if you wish to change your academic, living, transportation, or working situation, if you want information about taking a leave of absence and related financial aid information, or if you want any other specific protective measure to be implemented. The College will make such accommodations or provide such protective measures if so requested and if they are reasonably available, regardless of whether you choose to report the incident to local law enforcement.
    • Preservation of Evidence. It is extremely important that you preserve evidence as it may be necessary to prove the complaint you are making or needed to obtain a protection order. In the case of physical violence, including sexual assault, domestic violence, and dating violence, you should go directly to the emergency room and should not bathe, urinate, douche, brush teeth, drink liquids, or change clothes until after you are examined and, if necessary and you so choose, a rape examination is completed by a trained forensic professional at the hospital. Having a forensic examination does not obligate you to file criminal charges. Evidence in electronic formats should also be retained (e.g., text messages, emails, photos, social media posts, screenshots, etc.). This type of evidence is important and may be the only available evidence in cases of sexual harassment or stalking.
  2. Institutional Procedures
    • McPherson’s Sexual Misconduct Policy and Complaint Resolution Procedures (available at: https://wwwi.mcpherson.edu/admin-policies) govern complaints of sex discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual violence (including sexual assault), domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking. The procedures:
      • Will provide a prompt, fair, and impartial resolution of your complaint, under the evidentiary standard of preponderance of the evidence, i.e., more likely than not that the alleged conduct occurred.
      • Are carried out by College officials who have received training on these issues and how to conduct an investigation that promotes safety and accountability.
      • Provide you and the respondent the right to have a support person/advisor accompany you to all aspects of the investigation and resolution process. A support person/advisor may not advocate for a party like an attorney would in court.
      • Ensure that both you and the respondent will be notified simultaneously in writing of the outcome of all stages of the process, including any appeals.
      • Prohibit retaliation by the respondent or anyone else against you for making a complaint or against anyone else for participating in the investigation.
    • If you desire to have a support person/advisor but cannot find someone that you are comfortable with, please contact the Title IX Coordinator or Deputy Title IX Coordinator for assistance in doing so.
  3. Possible Interim Measures and Sanctions
    • Interim Measures. At any time during the investigation, the College may impose interim measures for the parties or witnesses for the protection of those involved and to ensure equal access to the College’s educational programs and activities. These may include separating the parties, placing limitations on contact between the parties, suspension, or making alternative living, class-placement, or workplace arrangements.
    • Sanctions. If there is a finding that a violation of the College’s Sexual Misconduct Policy has occurred, sanctions may include counseling or training, separation of the parties, and/or discipline of the respondent, including written reprimand, probation, suspension, demotion, termination, or expulsion.
  4. Confidentiality
    • If you request confidentiality or ask that a complaint not be investigated, the College will take reasonable steps to investigate and respond to the complaint consistent with the request. However, the College’s ability to respond may be limited in such cases, and the College may not be able to grant such a request when the respondent poses a continuing threat to the College community.
    • Throughout the investigation of your complaint, the College will maintain as confidential any accommodations or protective measures provided to you, to the extent maintaining such confidentiality does not impair the College’s ability to provide such accommodations or protective measures.
    • McPherson is required by law to make certain statistical disclosures of crimes reported to it. If you report an incident that is a crime, the College will make the statistical disclosure without disclosing personally identifying information about you.
  5. Resources Available
    • McPherson’s Title IX Coordinator
      • Brenda Jill Stocklin-Smith, PHR, SHRM-CP, M.Ed.
        1600 East Euclid
        Human Resources
        McPherson College
        McPherson KS 67460
        (620) 242-0454 or 2454 from campus extension
        [email protected]
    • McPherson’s Deputy Title IX Coordinator
      • Dr. Khalilah Doss
        Vice President of Student Life and Dean of Students
        1600 East Euclid
        McPherson College
        McPherson KS  67460
        (620) 242-0501
        [email protected]
    • On-Campus Counseling (confidential resource)
      • Asia Frye, Spiritual Life Coordinator
        1600 East Euclid
        McPherson College
        McPherson, KS 67460
        (620) 242-0502 or 2502 from campus extension
        [email protected]
    • On-Campus Medical Services (confidential resource)
      • Partners in Family Care
        106 Harter Hall
        McPherson College
        McPherson, KS 67460
        (620) 242-0404 or 2404 from campus extension
    • On-Campus Mental Health Services (confidential resource)
      • Mental health services available through
        Linda Helmer
        (620) 242-242-0404 or 2404 from campus extension
    • Student Financial Aid
      • Sara Brubaker
        Director of Financial Aid/Admissions Operations
        1600 East Euclid
        McPherson College
        McPherson, KS 67460
        (620) 242-0413 or 2413 from campus extension
        [email protected]
    • McPherson Kansas Police Department:
      • Call 911 in case of an emergency
      • Call (620) 245-1200 for non-emergencies
      • Police Department Administrative Office:
        1177 W Woodside Street
        McPherson, KS 67460
    • Local Hospital
      • McPherson Hospital
        1000 Hospital Drive
        McPherson, KS 67460
        (620) 241-2250
    • Support Agencies/Hotlines
      • McPherson County Sexual Assault/Domestic Violence Center:
        1-800-701-3630 (confidential resource)
      • Kansas Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence
        http://www.kcsdv.org/find-help/in-kansas/dv-sa-services.html
      • National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233
      • National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673Please contact the Title IX Coordinator if you want to discuss other resources that may be available in the community
    • Legal Assistance, Visa and Immigration Assistance