(1) The college will seek to protect the privacy of the complainant to the fullest extent possible, consistent with the legal obligation to investigate, take appropriate remedial and/or disciplinary action, and comply with the federal and state law, as well as Bates Technical College's policies and procedures. Although the college will attempt to honor complainant's requests for confidentiality, it cannot guarantee complete confidentiality. Determinations regarding how to handle requests for confidentiality will be made by the Title IX coordinator.

(2) The Title IX coordinator will inform and attempt to obtain consent from the complainant before commencing an investigation of alleged sexual harassment. If a complainant asks that their name not be revealed to the respondent or that the college not investigate the allegation, the Title IX coordinator will inform the complainant that maintaining confidentiality may limit the college's ability to fully respond to the allegations and that retaliation by the respondent and/or others is prohibited. If the complainant still insists that their name not be disclosed or that the college not investigate, the Title IX coordinator will determine whether the college can honor the request and at the same time maintain a safe and nondiscriminatory environment for all members of the college community, including the complainant. Factors to be weighed during this determination may include, but are not limited to:

(a) The seriousness of the alleged sexual harassment;

(b) The age of the complainant;

(c) Whether the sexual harassment was perpetrated with a weapon;

(d) Whether the respondent has a history of committing acts of sexual harassment or violence or has been the subject of other sexual harassment or violence complaints or findings;

(e) Whether the respondent threatened to commit additional acts of sexual harassment or violence against the complainant or others; and

(f) Whether relevant evidence about the alleged incident can be obtained through other means such as security cameras, other witnesses, physical evidence.

(3) If the college is unable to honor a complainant's request for confidentiality, the Title IX coordinator will notify the complainant of the decision and ensure that complainant's identity is disclosed only to the extent reasonably necessary to effectively conduct and complete the investigation in compliance with this grievance procedure.

(4) If the college decides not to conduct an investigation or take disciplinary action because of a request for confidentiality, the Title IX coordinator will evaluate whether other measures are available to address the circumstances giving rise to the complaint and prevent their recurrence and implement such measures if reasonably feasible.