Victim's Rights

Victims are afforded rights by the federal government, the state, and the institution. All students have the right to emotional and physical safety.

Victim’s Bill of Rights

• To feel safe on campus
• To be informed of reporting options and receive assistance in reporting
• To be informed of counseling and supportive services
• To be informed of options for changing academics or living situation
• To have a support person with you in any disciplinary hearing regarding your complaint
• To be informed of the outcome of a disciplinary hearing

Federal law entitles sexual assault victims to the following rights:  

• The accuser and the accused have the same opportunity to have others present throughout disciplinary proceedings.
• Both parties shall be informed of the outcome of any disciplinary proceeding. At no time can a victim be required to keep the outcome confidential.
• Victims shall be informed of their options to notify law enforcement.
• Victims shall be notified of counseling services available on- and off-campus.
• Victims shall be notified of options for changing academic and living situations.
• Victims may obtain a free forensic exam from a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner without filing a police report or involving the police in any way. Other hospital charges may apply; please ask.  

Wisconsin State Law outlines the following: 

• University of Wisconsin System Chapter 17 outlines the campus disciplinary process. Students have the right to know the range of sanctions the institution can impose on the accused [UWS 17.10(1)], which include the following: written reprimand; denial of specified university privileges; imposition of reasonable terms and conditions on continued student status; restitution; removal of the student from the course in progress; disciplinary probation; suspension; and expulsion.
• Victims have the right to know that any disclosure of a sexual assault made to a university employee can result in a report as an annual crime statistic (with victim's name withheld).
• Students have a right to privacy and confidentiality. In general, campus and community offices must have a waiver signed by the student in order to share information among one another or with any third party, including parents.
• Students have the right to receive sexual assault education and information on an annual basis.

Victim's Confidentiality 

To the extent permissible by law, UW-Platteville will endeavor to keep victim information private. However, once a report is made to the university, or the university has notice of an incident of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking, confidentiality cannot be guaranteed unless that information is reported directly to a confidential resource.

For victims aged 18 and older who report to non-confidential sources, relevant information will be shared only with those who need to know, such as Title IX Coordinators and Deputy Coordinators, complaint investigators, and other individuals who are responsible for handling the school’s response to incidents of sexual violence. In the case of minors, UW-Platteville employees must report child abuse to Child Protective Services or local law enforcement.

In an effort to protect victim safety and privacy, UW-Platteville maintains information about sexual violence in a secure manner. If the university has notice of an incident, UW-Platteville will balance the victim’s request to keep identifying information confidential with the Title IX mandate to investigate hostile environments.

UW-Platteville will redact a victim’s identifying information when responding to requests for information pursuant to the Wisconsin Public Records Law. UW-Platteville complies with federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which governs the disclosure of student education records.

The university also will not disclose identifiable information about research subjects if prohibited by an NIH-issued Certificate of Confidentiality, HIPAA regulations, and state laws pertaining to the privacy of health information or promises of confidentiality made to research subjects pursuant to the federally required consent form and authorization form.

UW-Platteville must respond to court-issued subpoenas that are not prohibited by other applicable law and may not be able to redact information when responding to a subpoena.