Conducting Investigations for Allegations of Workplace Discrimination and Harassment
This training seeks to equip participants with the tools and knowledge necessary to navigate complex allegations of discrimination and harassment in the workplace while upholding institutional policies, federal law, and ensuring fair, equitable outcomes.
This training will delve into the process of breaking down the elements of various allegations and will assist attendees in better understanding how to assess if a claim is sufficient to initiate an investigation. Participants are guided through the intake process, exploring the critical questions to ask and options to provide as well as various interactive scenarios, which will illustrate how to apply these concepts in real-life situations. Attendees will also learn how to differentiate between harassment, free speech, and bias incidents while understanding the role of comparator information in discrimination cases.
Agenda
The agenda includes:
- Defining harassment, discrimination, and retaliation and breaking down the elements of an allegation
- What constitutes a sufficient nexus to initiate an investigation
- Intake process: what questions to ask, what options to provide
- Preliminary inquiry practice in policy
- Using campus partners and other resources
- Considering supportive measures
- Applying investigative processes consistently
Intended Audience
- Title IX Coordinators
- EO Directors
- Deputy Title IX Coordinators
- Title IX or Civil Rights Investigators
- Decision-makers
- Hearing Chairpersons
- Appeal Decision-makers
- Human Resource Professionals
- Student Conduct Professionals
- Legal Counsel
- Compliance and Risk Management Professionals (Title VI, Title VII, Title IX, ADA/Section 504, AA, EEO, Clery)
- Student Affair Administrators
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Meet Our Facilitators
Lori Makin-Byrd
Lori Makin-Byrd works in EO & Title IX Coordinator Services at Grand River Solutions where she serves as an interim and permanent Title IX Coordinator. Lori previously served as the Senior Advisor to the President for Civil Rights and Title IX Coordinator at the College of Wooster. In this role, she oversaw college-wide Title IX compliance and served as the main contact point for students, faculty, and staff who experienced or had been accused of engaging in gender-based discrimination, harassment, or violence. Lori was the College’s highest-ranked equity officer and partnered with various campus constituencies to create and revise policies while centering both equity and compliance. At the College of Wooster, Lori also served as the Interim Associate Vice President for Student Affairs, assisting in restructuring and retraining Dean of Students staff.
In former roles, Lori oversaw all student conduct processes and student conduct policies, served as primary investigator on employee misconduct investigations, and served as a full-time Psychology faculty member. With a background in clinical psychology, Lori has also chaired multiple Behavioral Intervention (BIT) and Care Teams, led risk assessment efforts on multiple campuses, and served as the primary point of contact for students in crisis.
Collin Baer
Collin Baer works as a Title IX and Civil Rights Investigator and Hearing Officer at Grand River Solutions, Inc. He brings 20 years of experience conducting workplace investigations and providing professional services in higher education, for state governments, and for private corporations. Most recently, Collin served as the Associate Director of the Office of Equity and Equal Opportunity at Miami University, conducting harassment, discrimination, retaliation, and sexual misconduct investigations, in addition to providing training across the institution and facilitating informal resolutions when appropriate.
Prior to working in higher education, Collin conducted investigations for the Nebraska Equal Opportunity Commission and managed cases in the child welfare system. Collin began his investigative career with a private firm conducting workplace investigations across the country, including performing and supervising undercover assignments. Collin’s goal with every investigation is to not only identify specific problems and solutions, but also to improve the overall culture of a community.
Our Client Engagement Team
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