Help an Accused Student

If you are assisting an accused student, here are some recommendations:

Take care of your well-being.

Both CST: Confidential Support Team and CAPS are available to you at no cost.
Review the Title IX Procedure and related Stanford policies.
Follow university directives, if issued.

It is important to understand that while an investigation is ongoing, the SHARE Title IX Office may issue a university directive requiring some action on your part such as to stay away from the Complainant. These directives might even require you to move housing, cease activities, or change classes in order to avoid the complainant. These directives are issued in order to maintain the status quo of the complainant's educational environment and to ensure the safety of the Stanford community. In most cases, the Title IX Coordinator will work with you to ensure that you have a place to live, study, eat, and exercise while an investigation is ongoing.
Contact a support person.

It is difficult to manage this process without support. Parents or other family members (depending on your relationship), Residence or Graduate Life Deans, and the University Ombuds are good sources of support in many cases. If an investigation is opened, you have the opportunity to meet with a third-party attorney, who has been identified by Stanford, at no cost to you (for up to nine hours).
Contact the SHARE Title IX Office.

If you have any questions or if you are in need of extraordinary support, such as an academic accommodation.

Retaliate against the complainant or witnesses.

Stanford policy prohibits retaliation. In some instances, students have been found responsible for retaliating against a complainant for bringing a good faith complaint, even when the initial complaint was not found to be a violation of policy. It is difficult to be accused of a Title IX violation, but the best advice is not to vent your frustrations to other students as such actions could rise to the level of retaliation. Note you are responsible for retaliation that occurs through your actions; if your friends retaliate against the complainant on your behalf, you could be held responsible. We recommend that you vent to your support person.