by Jonina Mignon ’21, Staff Writer
On Aug. 30, Dean of Students Terry Martinez sent an email to the Hamilton student body on behalf of the Dean of Students Office, reporting that a case of non-consensual sexual misconduct between two Hamilton students had occurred in the early morning hours of Aug. 25. Martinez also notified students that the appropriate measures were being taken in the aftermath of the incident, steps that included contacting the New York State Police at the request of the reporting student. As a result of an investigation stemming from the initial report, the New York State Campus Sexual Assault Victims Unit arrested a Hamilton student and charged him with criminal sex act in the third degree, which is a felony. The student is currently being held at the Oneida County Jail.
On campus, however, the College has its own procedure for dealing with such reports. Catherine Berryman, the new Director of Community Standards and Title IX Coordinator, stated upon receiving a report of sexual misconduct, she reviews all individual options with the reporting student, and then informs them of “the option to file a report with law enforcement.” She adds, “This practice is consistent with Hamilton College policy.” In other words, the student decides how to proceed with the case.
“The New York State Police have specially-assigned, experienced troopers to investigate allegations of sexual misconduct on college campuses,” Berryman added. “If an individual tells me that they want to speak with a law enforcement official, I give them the phone number for the New York State trooper assigned to our geographic area. “The individual who may have experienced sexual misconduct then schedules a meeting with assigned state trooper. The New York State trooper, in cooperation with other law enforcement officials, makes the decision whether to arrest a potential criminal defendant.” Berryman also noted that, “Hamilton College has no role in the decision to arrest an individual for an allegation of potential sexual misconduct.”
While there has been a renewed national conversation about sexual assault and misconduct in light of the #MeToo movement and other awareness-building initiatives, sexual misconduct remains a prevalent and persistent
problem on college campuses.
When asked about the steps being taken by the College to address the issue, Berryman reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to keeping individual students, as well as the entire community, as safe as possible. She detailed the specific measures that have been taken in order to achieve this goal, stating: “In a case where an individual may have experienced sexual misconduct, the College may implement a ‘No Contact Order’ to prohibit the potential respondent from interacting with the potential complainant.
“In certain cases, where a respondent student is a potential danger to another student or the campus at large, the College may impose an interim suspension and complete a formal investigation process while the respondent student is off campus.”
Berryman further stated that, “Hamilton can also provide additional accommodations, such as class adjustments and assistance moving residence halls, to students who have experienced sexual misconduct. The College provides these same accommodations to responding students in the formal investigation process.”
Along with these measures, the College has been working within its administration as well as the student body to take more preemptive steps against incidents of sexual misconduct, including requiring Title IX training for different group leaders on campus.
This training is often facilitated by Cori Smith ’17, the Title IX Education and Compliance Coordinator, as well as by Berryman herself.
Student organizations like SAVES and SMART also work to educate the student body about these issues. The College maintains a page on its website dedicated to harassment and sexual misconduct resources. Students seeking help and support can find this page at
www.hamilton
.edu/offices/hsmb.