11.19. Confidentiality

All business and activities of the honor council shall remain confidential until a given case has been fully adjudicated, and those within the bounds of confidentiality shall not divulge anything that is said or done with regard to such proceedings to anyone outside the bounds of confidentiality. Those within the bounds of confidentiality include all honor council members (not just those who served on a given case), the president of the University, the provost, the dean of students, the vice president for campus life, the chief conduct officer, the registrar, the chair of the academic division in which the alleged infraction occurred (if appropriate), a counselor used as a part of a Class II investigation, the accused’s academic advisor, accusers, accused persons, witnesses, persons interviewed prior to or during an investigation, victims and the attorney for the University. If the student plays on a varsity athletic team, the coach of that team and the athletic director are also included within the bounds of confidentiality. In addition, the accused may, at his/her discretion, include within the bounds of confidentiality his/her parents, faculty or staff members, minister/spiritual advisor, personal or legal counsel, up to two advisors drawn from the University community and any translator or interpreter that was required for a hearing. Should anyone outside the bounds of confidentiality receive information which is considered to be confidential, he/she/they will automatically be bound by confidentiality.

Once a case has been fully adjudicated, all students (accusers, accused persons, witnesses, those interviewed prior to or during an investigation and victims) excepting student members of the honor council are released from confidentiality requirements. All other parties named in the previous paragraph (including student members of the honor council) continue to be bound indefinitely by the confidentiality requirements enumerated above.

Members of the honor council who violate confidentiality requirements are subject to sanctions imposed by the honor council (see Sec. 11.20.). Non-honor council Oglethorpe students who appear to have dishonored confidentiality requirements will be charged with violating the code of student conduct, Sec. B.15. Non-honor council faculty and staff who appear to have violated confidentiality requirements may have letters of reprimand filed with the provost and/or the faculty or staff member’s direct supervisor on behalf of the honor council.