Roles of Case Participants
What are the responsibilities of a second during a hearing?
A second is a source of emotional support for the complainant or respondent. Both complainant and respondent are allowed one second, who must be a member of the Reed community. Parties may communicate with their second during a hearing, but a second may not provide testimony or directly address anyone else at the hearing.
What are the responsibilities of an advisor during a hearing?
Both complainant and respondent are allowed one advisor; there is no limitation on who may serve as an advisor. Parties may communicate with their advisor during a hearing, but an advisor may not provide testimony or directly address anyone else at the hearing.
What is a Procedural Aide, and what role do they play in a J-Board case?
The Procedural Aide (PA) acts as source of information for the parties called to a case, and is responsible for communicating information between involved parties and the Board. The PA answers questions, informs participants of their rights and obligations, and maintains the organization/distribution of documents in the case file. They are present for the hearing, but do not play any role in the deliberations of the case (they are not present, and can’t vote).
Can I bring a complaint on behalf of someone else?
If you feel that there has been a violation of the Honor Principle or of college policy, you may bring a case forward. However, you cannot explicitly bring a case on another person’s “behalf” because your testimony is your own, and does not represent another person’s viewpoint. Were you to bring a case forward as a complainant regarding an incident(s) in which you were not directly involved, any other people who were more directly involved in the incident can only participate in the case as witnesses.
Who is an "accuser" and who is the "accused" in a case of sexual assault and how does that relate to the terms complainant and respondent?
The phrases "accuser" and "accused" in the context of sexual assault comes from the terminology of the Clery Act.
- Accuser: the alleged victim of an act of sexual assault
- Accused: the alleged perpetrator of an act of sexual assault
- Complainant: the person who brings a formal case to a Judicial Board; this person may or may not be the alleged victim.
- Respondent: the person named in a formal case to a Judicial Board as having allegedly violated the Honor Principle or college policy. In a case of sexual assault, the respondent is the same as the accused.
- Witness: the alleged victim of sexual assault (the accuser) may appear in a case as a witness rather than as the complainant, or may chose not to participate at all.