Discrimination and Harassment Process

Students and employees who believe they have been discriminated against on the basis of a Protected Status should report incidents to the Office of Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity (AA/EEO). In addition to the Office of Vice President for Student Affairs, all faculty, staff, and administrators should assist students in directing their harassment and/or discrimination complaints to the Office of AA/EEO.

Upon receipt of a complaint, the Office of AA/EEO will conduct a preliminary inquiry designed to assess:

1. the institutional policy or policies potentially invoked by the alleged conduct,
2. the best path of resolution for the complaint.

In the event the Office of AA/EEO determines there are no reasonable grounds for believing the conduct at issue constitutes a violation of this Policy, the complaint will be closed.

In those in instances in which a complainant is unavailable or unknown, e.g. sexual exploitation involving a child, sexual assault of an individual not affiliated with Auburn University, the Director may, in their discretion, move forward with the formal resolution process.

The Office of AA/EEO will determine whether informal resolution is an appropriate mechanism of resolution based on the information provided about the incident. Options for informal resolution include, but are not limited to, mediation, restorative justice, or other forms of alternative resolution. If informal resolution is determined to be appropriate, the Director of AA/EEO (Director) or their designee will meet separately with both parties to discuss an informal resolution based on the information available. If the proposed resolution satisfies the University’s obligation to provide a safe and non-discriminatory environment for the University Community, the resolution will be implemented, and the matter will be closed. The Office of AA/EEO will maintain records of all reports and conduct referred for informal resolution.

If the Office of AA/EEO determines that a formal investigation is warranted to resolve a complaint, the University will determine whether an employee or student is responsible for a violation of this Policy and what, if any, corrective action is appropriate, in accordance with the procedures described below.

1. Assignment of Investigator
2. The Investigation
3. The Investigator’s Report and Conclusions
   1. Determination of No Policy Violationor
   2. Determination of a Policy Violation
4. Corrective Action
5. Appeals