Apr 20, 2024  
2021-2022 Catalog and Handbook 
    
2021-2022 Catalog and Handbook [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Student Bill of Rights


The City University of New York

Students’ Bill of Rights

 

CUNY Students who experience campus-related sexual or gender-based harassment or sexual violence, including sexual assault, stalking, domestic violence, intimate partner violence or dating violence, are entitle to the following rights:

  • To report the incident to your campus.
  • To report the incident to the University or campus public safety department and/or to file a criminal complaint with the NYPD, or to choose not to report.
  • To receive assistance from your campus or others in filing a criminal complaint, which may include seeking an Order of Protection.
  • To describe the incident only to those campus officials who need the information in order to properly respond and to repeat the description as few times as practicable.
  • To request that the campus file conduct charges against the respondent(s). The decision on whether to bring charges rests with the campus.
  • To be protected by your campus from retaliation for reporting the incident, and to have any allegations of retaliation addressed by the campus.
  • To receive assistance and resources from your campus, including confidential and free on-campus counseling, and to be notified of other available services on- and off-campus, including, among other resources, the New York State Office of Victim Services.
  • To receive assistance in seeking necessary medical services or treatment, including a Sexual Assault Forensic Examination (SAFE exam), on or off campus.
  • To obtain, where appropriate, changes with respect to campus academic and living arrangements, no-contact orders, and other interim remedial measures to enable you to continue your education without undue stress or trauma.
  • To have your complaints handled respectfully by the campus, and to be informed about how the campus will protect your privacy and confidentiality.
  • To have your complaint investigated in a prompt, impartial and thorough manner by individuals who have received appropriate training in conducting investigations and the issues related to sexual harassment and sexual violence, and to be accompanied by a person of your choice at all meetings or hearings related to the process.
  • To have your complaint against a student adjudicated by individuals who have received appropriate training on issues related to sexual harassment and sexual violence.
  • To report incidents of sexual harassment or sexual violence that you experience while under the influence of alcohol or drugs without receiving discipline for your alcohol or drug use.
  • To have the same opportunity as the respondent(s) to participate in a student disciplinary hearing before a faculty-student disciplinary committee, including the right to be present, to be represented by a person of your choice, including an attorney, to present evidence, call witnesses, cross-examine witnesses, have your prior sexual history with persons other than the respondent(s) excluded from the hearing, have your prior mental health diagnosis and/or treatment excluded from the hearing, receive written notice of the outcome of the hearing, and to appeal from the decision.
  • To participate in the investigative and disciplinary processes of the campus without interference with your civil rights or practice of religion.

Questions about CUNY’s sexual misconduct policy and procedures may be directed to your campus Title IX Coordinator, Christopher Leydon via email at christopher.leydon@cuny.edu or via phone at 646-664-8616.

Information on resources and the process for filing a complaint is available on the CUNY SPS’s Title IX web page found at https://sps.cuny.edu/about/directory/office-public-safety/title-ix.