Retaliation

What is retaliation?

Retaliation means any adverse action taken against a person for making a good faith report of misconduct, such as reporting sex-based discrimination, sexual assault, relationship violence, stalking or sexual harassment.  It can also mean taking an adverse action against a person participating in or being a party to an investigation, adjudication, or action taken in response to a report of misconduct.  Retaliation includes threatening, intimidating, harassing, coercing and any other conduct that would discourage a reasonable person from engaging in activity protected under UCF’s Nondiscrimination Policy and/or Title IX Grievance Policy. 

Retaliation under the Title IX Grievance Policy

• No person may intimidate, threaten, coerce, or discriminate against any individual:
  • for the purpose of interfering with any right or privilege secured by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 or its implementing regulations
  • because the individual has made a report or complaint, testified, assisted, or participated or refused to participate in any manner in an investigation, proceeding or hearing under this Title IX Grievance Policy
  • including any charges filed against an individual for code of conduct violations that do not involve sex discrimination or sexual harassment, but that arise from the same facts or circumstances as a report or complaint of sex discrimination or a report or Formal Complaint of sexual harassment, for the purpose of interfering with any right or privilege secured by Title IX or its implementing regulations.

How do I report suspected retaliation?

If you believe you have been subjected to retaliation, please contact the Office of Institutional Equity to report your concerns.

Additional information about retaliation

• Retaliation can include, but is not limited to, actions taken by the university, actions taken by one student against another student, actions taken by an employee against another employee or student, or actions taken by a third party against a student or employee. 
• Retaliation may be present even where there is a finding of “no responsibility” on the allegations. 
• Also, an individual may be found to have engaged in retaliation when they were not a party to the initial report of discrimination.
• Retaliation does not include good faith actions lawfully pursued in response to a report of Prohibited Conduct.
• In determining whether an act constitutes retaliation, the full context of the conduct will be considered, including the individual right to freedom of speech.

For more information on retaliation, please the university’s Reporting Misconduct and Protection from Retaliation Policy, Title IX Grievance Policy, and Nondiscrimination Policy.