Cornell Policy 6.4 Formal Complaints against Students, Staff and Faculty in the 2018-2019 Academic Year[1]
Introduction
This statistical summary provides information on Policy 6.4 Formal Complaints made against students, staff and faculty during the 2018-2019 academic year[2]. The statistics are anonymized consistent with the privacy provision in the policy.
Effective June 1, 2019, the university implemented new Procedures to address alleged violations of Cornell Policy 6.4 where the respondent was a member of the faculty or staff. For more information, see the Procedures.
| Respondent | Prohibited Conduct | Procedure |
| Employee | Where the respondent is an employee who is alleged to have committed protected-status harassment, including sexual and gender-based harassment, dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, sexual exploitation, stalking, aiding prohibited conduct, attempting to commit prohibited conduct, violating an interim measure, and retaliation. | “Procedures for Resolution of Reports Against Employees Under Cornell University Policy 6.4,” available at https://titleix.cornell.edu/files/2019/11/Procedures-for-the-Resolution-of-Reports-Against-Employees-Under-University-Policy-6.4-10.11.2019.pdf |
| Faculty Member | Where the respondent is a faculty member who is alleged to have committed prohibited discrimination, and retaliation. | “Procedures for Resolution of Reports of Prohibited Discrimination Against Faculty Under Cornell University Policy 6.4,” available at https://cpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com/blogs.cornell.edu/dist/6/7016/files/2019/05/Procedures-for-Resolution-of-Reports-of-Prohibited-Discrimination-Against-Faculty-Under-Cornell-University-Policy-6.4-6.1.2019-3.pdf |
| Staff Member | Where the respondent is a staff member who is alleged to have committed prohibited discrimination, and retaliation. | “Procedures for Resolution of Reports Against Staff Under Cornell University Policy 6.4,” available at https://cpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com/blogs.cornell.edu/dist/6/7016/files/2019/05/Procedures-for-Resolution-of-Reports-of-Prohibited-Discrimination-Against-Staff-Under-Cornell-University-Policy-6.4-6.1.2019-2.pdf |
Prior to the June 1, 2019, transition, reports and Formal Complaints of alleged prohibited discrimination, retaliation, and protected-status harassment made against staff and faculty were received by the Office of Workforce Policy and Labor Relations. The information contained herein accounts only for reports and Formal Complaints received by the Office of Institutional Equity and Title IX during the 2018-2019 academic year.
Although the total number of reports and Formal Complaints received during the 2018-2019 academic year appear to have decreased from the 2017-2018 academic year, this variation in the data simply reflects changes in the office’s internal practices for counting and tracking reports. With that said, the university has seen a fairly steady increase in the number of reports and Formal Complaints since the 2015-2016 academic year.
Please note that this overall increase does not suggest an increase in violence or prohibited conduct; rather, it suggests that members of the community are now sharing their experiences more openly. This allows the university to address the individualized needs of those reporting, as well as the safety of the community as a whole.
Reports
During the 2018-2019 academic year, the Office of Institutional Equity and Title IX received 366 reports of alleged Policy 6.4 violations. This number includes reports of sexual or related misconduct, protected-status harassment, prohibited discrimination and retaliation against students, staff, faculty, unaffiliated individuals, and unknown or unidentified individuals. There can be multiple allegations of prohibited conduct in a single report.
| Prohibited Conduct | Number of Reports |
| Aiding Prohibited Conduct |
1 |
| Attempting to Commit Prohibited Conduct |
7 |
| Dating and Domestic Violence |
53 |
| Discrimination |
10 |
| Harassment (Including Sexual and Gender-Based Harassment) |
124 |
| Retaliation |
12 |
| Sexual Assault |
135 |
| Sexual Exploitation |
33 |
| Stalking |
45 |
| Violating an Interim Measure |
8 |
Note: Reports of alleged bias and Policy 6.4 violations that did not involve sexual and/or related misconduct prior to June 1, 2019 were received by the Office of Workforce Policy and Labor Relations and the Department of Inclusion and Workforce Diversity. Click here for a copy of the FY19 Reporting Bias System Annual Report.
Formal Complaints
Prohibited student conduct subject to a Formal Complaint under Policy 6.4 in the 2018-2019 academic year included:
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Effective June 1, 2019, prohibited employee (members of the faculty and staff) conduct subject to a Formal Complaint under Policy 6.4 included:
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Effective June 1, 2019, prohibited faculty and staff conduct subject to a Formal Complaint under Policy 6.4 included:
- Prohibited Discrimination
- Retaliation
Definitions of prohibited conduct under Policy 6.4 can be found in the Procedures.
During the 2018-2019 academic year, a total of 27 Formal Complaints of prohibited conduct under Policy 6.4 were made against students, staff and faculty[3]. Of the 27 complaints, 15 were made against undergraduate students, eight were made against graduate and professional students, and four were made against faculty and staff. These Formal Complaints were resolved under the applicable procedures for the university’s different constituencies. For more information, see the Procedures.
Please see charts of Formal Complaints by the university’s constituencies below:
- Cornell Policy 6.4 Formal Complaints Against Undergraduate Students in the 2018-2019 Academic Year
- Cornell Policy 6.4 Formal Complaints Against Graduate and Professional Students in the 2018-2019 Academic Year
- Cornell Policy 6.4 Formal Complaints Against Faculty and Staff in the 2018-2019 Academic Year
Note: This page will be reviewed and updated as necessary to reflect final resolutions of pending matters on a quarterly basis.
[1] Formal Complaints signed between July 1, 2018 and June 30, 2019.
[2] This number reflects all Formal Complaints made against students between July 1, 2018 and June 30, 2019, and only those made against faculty and staff after June 1, 2019.
[3] Formal Complaints against staff and faculty were only received by the Office of Institutional Equity and Title IX after June 1, 2019, in accordance with the new procedures.