Q: Why must I report incidences of sexual assaults or discrimination?
All University of Maine at Farmington employees are Mandatory Reporters with the exception of UMF’s licensed, clinical counselors and their clinical interns, Student Health Center staff, and athletic trainers acting in their official capacity.
Your reporting helps the University to support the individuals involved. It also helps us to identify patterns that might arise – for example, if a particular individual is reported to have sexually assaulted or harassed more than one victim. Mandatory reporting also helps to create a climate on campus where it is clear that sexual discrimination is not tolerated.
To the extent possible, information reported should only be shared with those responsible for handling the University’s response to the report. You should not share information with law enforcement without the student’s consent, unless the student has already reported to the law enforcement or you are otherwise required to do so by law.
Q: What must be reported?
You will need to report all relevant details about the alleged sexual violence shared by the individual that the University will need to determine what happened–including the names of those involved, any witnesses, and any other relevant facts, including the date, time and specific location of the alleged incident.
Q: What about confidentiality?
If possible, you should try to ensure that the individual understands your reporting obligations before they reveal information to you that you are required to report. If the individual wants to maintain confidentiality, you should direct them to a professional or pastoral counselor or licensed health professional, whose roles support confidentiality for people who confide in them.
However, once a disclosure is made, you are required to report even if the individual would prefer to maintain confidentiality. You should inform the individual that the University will consider their request for confidentiality, but cannot guarantee that the University will be able to honor it.
If the individual has requested confidentiality, you should share this information when you make the report. The University will weigh the individual’s request for confidentiality against the institution’s obligation to provide a safe, nondiscriminatory environment for everyone. If the University determines that it can maintain confidentiality, the individual must understand that the institution’s ability to meaningfully investigate the incident and pursue disciplinary action, if warranted, may be limited.
There are times when the University may not be able to honor a request for confidentiality because doing so would pose a risk to its ability to provide a safe, nondiscriminatory environment. If the University determines that it cannot maintain confidentiality, the University will advise the individual, prior to starting an investigation and, to the extent possible, will share information only with those responsible for handling the institution’s response.
Q: What will happen after I report?
An appropriate University administrator will reach out to the individual and offer support, resources, and information. The individual will be invited to meet with the employee to discuss the situation and the various options available to them.
As indicated earlier, the University will assess whether it can maintain confidentiality, if requested. The University is committed to the well-being of all students and will take steps to protect all involved from retaliation or harm. Because the University is under a continuing obligation to address sexual discrimination, the report may also prompt the institution to consider broader remedial action — such as increased monitoring, supervision, or security at locations where the incident occurred; increasing education and prevention efforts; conducting climate assessments; and/or revisiting its policies and practices.
An employee or volunteer who makes a report may be asked to prepare a written statement or otherwise participate in a disciplinary or investigatory process.
