Grove City College desires to foster a student environment that is free of any instances of sexual misconduct. As such, the College keeps a policy prohibiting certain conduct within its student body, sexual misconduct included. The College's policies may be found within the pages of its Student Handbook. The processes used for pursuing a sexual misconduct case are the same as those used to pursue incidents of standard misconduct. Because Grove City does not receive federal funding, it is not bound by the same rules as other colleges, and as such does not have a strict and dedicated Title IX Policy. Instead, all misconduct is under one blanket policy.
Grove City College Sexual Misconduct
Any acts of sexual misconduct are considered violations of the Grove City College Community Standards. The College will engage in its standard disciplinary process for these violations. This process is not adversarial in nature, but instead, attempts to encourage a diplomatic resolution between the College authorities and the student. Students will be informed of the complaints lodged against them, and have an individual meeting with the Assistant Dean. This meeting is intended to bring a resolution to the process, and the student will be given an opportunity to be heard out, as well as to suggest information and witnesses for consideration. The Assistant Dean is also responsible for making a decision on the matter after this meeting, using the standard of more likely than not.
Although Grove City College does not uphold a dedicated Title IX policy unlike almost all other colleges and universities in Pennsylvania, alleged sexual misconduct incidents will still be taken very seriously by the College. The potential consequences of the allegations alone can put a student's academic and professional career at serious risk, and a finding of responsibility for sexual misconduct can be life-altering. For these reasons, among others, it is critical that an accused student receive assistance from an attorney from behind the scenes, at an absolute minimum. An attorney can advise and counsel an accused student as to how to best defend against the sexual misconduct allegations and can provide guidance regarding the necessary steps that must be taken to achieve a favorable outcome in the campus disciplinary setting.
In addition, despite the fact that Grove City College has an independent sexual misconduct disciplinary policy, and is therefore not bound by federal Title IX considerations, the College must nonetheless abide by its own stated policies when adjudicating allegations of sexual misconduct. In light of this critical consideration, an attorney can make sure that the integrity of the College's investigation and disciplinary proceedings is upheld. An attorney can also work with an accused student to make sure their rights are protected throughout the disciplinary process and can help serve as a student's legal guide through any adverse consequences that may follow the initial report at the College.
Appeals at Grove City College
If the meeting with the Assistant Dean results in an unfavorable outcome, students may make an appeal. Appeals are to be submitted within 48 hours of the outcome. There are no specific grounds for appeal, however, the student's argument must be stated clearly and rely on convincing evidence.
If you or your student is facing sexual misconduct allegations or sexual misconduct charges at Grove City College, contact the LLF Law Firm today at 888-535-3686
