FACT SHEET FOR STUDENTS CONSIDERING BRINGING A COMPLAINT OF SEXUAL
HARASSMENT OR SEXUAL MISCONDUCT AGAINST ANOTHER STUDENT.
Harvard Kennedy School wants all of its students to feel that they are in a safe learning
environment. As reflected in the HKS Statement of Rights and Responsibilities, and the HKS
Code of Conduct, the School requires that all members of the HKS community be treated with
respect.
There are several options to consider in making a complaint of sexual harassment or other sexual
misconduct against another student.1 In most circumstances, you may decide how you would
like to proceed. The following is an outline of your informal and formal action options.
Regardless of whether you decide to pursue a complaint, you should consider your emotional
and physical well-being. Many support services are available to HKS students and are listed in
the “Tell Someone” brochure, which is available on the HKS website. The advisors listed in the
“Tell Someone” brochure also can assist you in accessing these services.
Informal Action
HKS encourages students to consult with the advisers listed in the “Tell Someone” brochure to
obtain help in clarifying and resolving a situation of perceived sexual harassment or other sexual
misconduct. Informal action can be tailored to specifically address your individual situation and
needs. Informal options do not entail disciplinary action by the School or legal action in the
court system. Some examples of informal action are as follows:
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Making changes in instructional arrangements including classroom settings;
Making changes in HKS housing arrangements;
Writing a letter to the other student to describe your reaction to the behavior and to insist
that it stop;
Enlisting the support of an HKS administrator to help you convey your feelings to the
other student.
Formal Action
If you have experienced sexual harassment, sexual assault or other sexual misconduct from
another student, you have the option of bringing a formal charge to the Disciplinary Review
Board, a committee composed of faculty members and officers. To begin the process, you
should prepare and sign a statement that provides as much detailed information as possible about
the incident(s). Your program director can provide guidance in this process. An HKS
1
Different reporting and disciplinary procedures apply when the person about whom you are making a complaint is
a member of the faculty or staff.
investigative officer will show your statement to the student about whom you are making the
complaint, and that student will likewise prepare and sign a detailed statement. You will be
shown a copy of the student’s statement. The process is confidential, which means that all
students involved must respect the privacy of others involved and refrain from discussing the
case or any of its details with anyone other than those who have a need to know. The HKS
investigative officer will gather other evidence and will present the case to the Disciplinary
Review Board. The Disciplinary Review Board will examine the charge and refer the case, if
appropriate, to the HKS Committee on Rights and Responsibilities. The Committee on Rights
and Responsibilities will hear the case and recommend to the Dean one of the following actions:
dismiss the charge, issue an admonition, place the student on probation, require the student to
withdraw, or expel the student. You will be kept informed about the status of your case as it
proceeds.
Sexual assault and rape are crimes. If you have been sexually assaulted or raped by another
student, another option is to file a criminal complaint, most likely through the Middlesex County
District Attorney’s Office. You may also contact that office without being obligated to file a
formal complaint. Middlesex District Attorney Victim/Witness Bureau may be reached at 781897-8490. Even if you initially decide not to pursue criminal action, you are strongly encouraged
to file a report with the Harvard University Police Department (HUPD). If you change your
mind and later decide to pursue criminal charges, being able to show that you filed a
contemporaneous police report may be important. You may make a confidential report to HUPD
without being obligated to pursue further action. To make a report, contact HUPD’s Criminal
Investigations Division at 617-495-1796. The advisors listed in the “Tell Someone” brochure are
available to help you access either the District Attorney’s Office or HUPD. Ordinarily, criminal
prosecution takes precedent over the HKS disciplinary process and is completed before that
process begins. In the absence of a pending criminal investigation or court process, the HKS
disciplinary process will go forward.
Contact Information for Support Services and Counseling Resources:
Harvard University Health Services
(617) 495-5711
www.huhs.harvard.edu
Harvard University Mental Health Services
(617) 495-2042
http://huhs.harvard.edu/HealthServices/StudentMentalHealthServices.aspx
Office of Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (OSAPR)
(617) 495-9100
www.fas.harvard.edu/~osapr/
UHS-Bureau of Study Counsel
(617) 495-2581
www.fas.harvard.edu/~bsc/
Boston Area Rape Crisis Center (BARCC):
(617) 492-8306 24 Hour Hotline: (617) 492-7273
www.barcc.org
Updated September 2013