The University of North Texas is committed to providing a safe environment for all community members. Dating violence, domestic violence, sexual harassment, sexual coercion, sexual exploitation, sexual violence, and stalking are prohibited. Please see our page on reporting sexual violence for more information. We are here to help.
For a complete copy of the university's policies governing sexual misconduct visit:
Definitions
The Code of Student Conduct defines the following prohibited conduct:
- Dating violence is violence committed by a person who is or has been in a social relationship of a romantic or intimate nature with the victim; and where the existence of such a relationship shall be determined based on a consideration of the following factors: the length of the relationship, the type of relationship, and the frequency of interaction between the persons involved in the relationship.
- Domestic violence includes felony or misdemeanor crimes of violence committed by a current or former spouse of the victim, or by a person with whom the victim shares a child in common, or by a person who is cohabitating with, or has cohabitated with the victim as a spouse, or by a person similarly situated to a spouse of a victim under the domestic or family violence laws of the jurisdiction receiving grant monies, or by any other person against an adult or youth victim who is protected from that person’s acts under the domestic or family violence laws of the jurisdiction.
- Sexual exploitation is taking non-consensual or abusive sexual advantage of another for another’s own advantage or benefit, or to benefit or advantage anyone other than the person being exploited, including but not limited to, non-consensual video or audio-taping of sexual activity or undetected viewing of another’s sexual activity.
- Sexual harassment is unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature including but not limited to unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, sexual violence and other verbal, nonverbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature.
- Sexual violence is any physical sexual acts perpetrated against a person’s will or when a person is incapable of giving consent due to the victim’s use of drugs or alcohol or other disability, including age. Sexual violence includes but is not limited to rape, sexual assault, sexual battery or sexual coercion.
- Sexual coercion is the use of manipulation or threat to force someone to have sex.
- Stalking is engaging in a course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to fear for his or her safety or the safety of others, or to suffer substantial.
Reporting
The university has procedures in place that serve to be sensitive to those who make an institutional report of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking. Procedures include informing individuals about their right to file criminal charges as well as the availability of counseling, health, mental health, victim advocacy, legal assistance, visa and immigration assistance and other services on and/or off campus, as well as additional remedies to prevent contact between a complainant and a respondent, such as housing, academic, transportation and working accommodations, if reasonably available. The university will make such accommodations, if the victim requests them and if they are reasonably available, regardless of whether the complainant chooses to report the crime to the UNTPD or local law enforcement.
Anyone can report prohibited conduct by notifying the Dean of Students Office (940.565.2648), the Title IX Coordinator (940.565.2759) or the UNT Police Department (940.565.3000).
Response
- Depending on when reported (immediate vs delayed report), the institution will provide the complainant with access to medical care.
- UNT will assess immediate safety needs of the complainant.
- UNT will assist the complainant with contacting local police at the complainant's requests AND the complainant will be provided with contact information for the local police department.
- UNT will provide the complainant with referrals to on and off-campus mental health providers.
- UNT will assess the need to implement interim or long-term protective measures, such as housing changes, change in class schedule, and “no contact” directive between both parties.
- UNT may issue a “no trespass” directive to respondent if deemed appropriate.
- UNT will provide a copy of the Code of Student Conduct or Sexual Harassment Policy to the complainant and inform the complainant regarding timeframes for inquiry, investigation and resolution.
- UNT will inform the complainant of the outcome of the investigation, whether or not the respondent will be administratively charged and what the outcome of the hearing is.
- UNT will enforce the anti- retaliation policy and take immediate and separate action against parties that retaliate against a person for complaining of sex-based discrimination or for assisting in the investigation.
Conduct Process When the Alleged Perpetrator is a Student
- The complainant and the responding student each have the opportunity to attend a hearing before a properly trained staff that protects the safety of the complainant and promotes accountability.
- The complainant and the respondent will have timely notice of meetings.
- The institution will allow for timely access to the complainant, the respondent and appropriate officials to any information that will be used after the fact-finding investigation but during formal and informal disciplinary meeting and hearings.
- The institutional disciplinary procedures will not be conducted by officials who have a conflict of interest or bias for or against the complainant or the respondent.
- The institution provides the complainant and respondent the same opportunities to have others present during an institutional disciplinary proceeding. The complainant and respondent each have the opportunity to be advised by a personal advisor of their choice, at their expense, at any stage of the process and to be accompanied by that advisor at any meeting or proceeding. An advisor may only consult and advise his or her advisee, but not speak for the advisee at any meeting or hearing. Both parties have the ability to provide witnesses and additional information.
- A student conduct decision is based on the preponderance of evidence standard, i.e. “more likely than not to have occurred” standard. In other words, the conduct process asks: “is it more likely than not that the respondent student violated the Code of Student Conduct?”
- The complainant and respondent will be notified simultaneously in writing of the result of any disciplinary proceeding, as well as any changes to those result or disciplinary actions prior to the time that such results become final.
- The complainant and the respondent each have the right to appeal the sanctions of Level III Conduct Probation, Suspension or Expulsion.
Please see our page on Understanding the Conduct Process for Allegations of Sexual Harassment for more information. We are here to help
Sanctions When the Alleged Perpetrator is a Student
If a student is found responsible for violating the Code for one or more prohibited behaviors, one or more of the following sanctions can be imposed:
- Residence Hall Removal
- Level II Conduct Probation (removes good standing for a period of time)
- Level III Conduct Probation (permanently removes good standing)
- Suspension
- Expulsion
- Withdrawal
- No Contact Order
- Trespass
Who to Contact
Renee LeClaire McNamara
Assistant Director for Student Advocacy, Crisis Intervention and Violence Prevention
Dean of Students Office
Renee.LeClaire@unt.edu
940.565.2648
deanofstudents.unt.edu/resources
Inya Baiye
Title IX Coordinator
oeo@unt.edu
940.565.2711
For More Information
For more information on how the university addresses sexual violence please review the university’s Annual Security Report