Investigation FAQ

The university is collecting information and witness accounts that will allow for a full and fair assessment of the issues that arose from the disruption and ultimate cancellation of the Susan Resneck Pierce Lecture on February 21, 2024. This work includes a review of university faculty, staff, students, and administrators involved in the event in any way to ascertain whether there are any possible violations of university policies or community standards.

This investigation also encompasses a review of the university’s safety planning processes and relevant policies.

No. The review encompasses everyone with information relevant to the event.

The university has retained Davis Wright Tremaine (DWT) to conduct the investigation. Through interviews and gathering information, DWT attorneys will develop a factual summary of events and provide any relevant recommendations and findings.

This is a complex matter that involves a significant number of faculty, staff, students, and administrators and other witnesses who are not part of the campus community. Preparing a factual summary of events within the timeline we have means that there is much information gathering, interviewing, synthesis, and report development that must happen quickly. We do not have internal staff who have capacity to undertake such a review with this timeline. See Q7.

In addition, most of the administrators who would otherwise be charged with investigating are witnesses and we believe that an external investigation avoids any perceived or actual conflict in this regard.

DWT is currently contacting faculty, staff, students, administrators, and others who were present at the event or who may have relevant information. Individuals are strongly encouraged to participate, as they would be in any other university review or investigation; however, we are not requiring participation or punishing those who do not agree to be  interviewed in this matter. Those who choose not to participate will not have that fact held against them – recommendations and findings will simply not include their input.

Anyone who has additional questions about the interview can also email pugetsoundinvestigation@dwt.com.

The interviewers are lawyers from DWT. Typically one or two interviewers will meet with the interviewee and this will be confirmed prior to the interview. Interviews are not recorded, but investigators will take notes that will be used to help them develop a factual summary of the events, and may inform the findings or recommendations.

The interview may occur on campus in a conference room or over Zoom, as determined by the interviewee and investigator.

We need to complete the interviews and have the factual summary in time to meet deadlines established by the Faculty Code and we recognize the importance of trying to conclude the review by the end of the semester. These deadlines require interviews to be conducted before the end of March.

Anyone who prefers not to be interviewed may also contribute information or any related documentation by submitting to this email address: pugetsoundinvestigation@dwt.com.

The interviewer's notes and any identifiable information are not expected to be shared with the university. Anonymous submissions can be made, but they may be of more limited value. The factual summary will be intentionally created to share non-identifiable information (whether from interviews or other information gathered or provided). Anonymity or complete confidentiality of the information you share cannot be guaranteed in the event of any subsequent disciplinary or legal action, as is always the case.

No. All our personnel processes envision that a review of allegations of violations of university policy or community standards will occur prior to any determination of whether a disciplinary process is appropriate. Usually this is done by an appropriate university administrator, such as the Provost, Human Resources, the Title IX Coordinator/Equal Opportunity Officer, or Director of Student Accountability & Restorative Practices. In this case, we are using an external investigator to handle this initial step, but any findings or recommendations that implicate specific persons will then be referred to the appropriate process. See Q4 and Q13.

We will receive a written summary or other type of report at the conclusion of the investigation that will be appropriate for distribution to the campus community. This report will not identify any specific individuals who participated (or not) and will not attribute specific comments to individuals. We will also receive any relevant findings and recommendations related to violations of university policies or community standards and about our safety planning process and related university policies.

Please note that we do not know what recommendations or findings might result from this work. As mentioned above, we have requested a written summary or other type of report at the conclusion of the investigation that will be appropriate for distribution to the campus community. We believe it is important to share this information with the community, and that there is much to be learned from these events that will help us strengthen our commitment to embodying the mission and values of a liberal arts institution, including inclusiveness, constructive dialogue and civil discourse.

Any findings or recommendations relevant to specific individuals will not be shared publicly due to confidentiality of personnel and student records.

Yes, if the report indicates that there is credible information that any faculty, staff, student, or administrator engaged in conduct that may have violated university policies or community standards then they may be subject to additional action
under the relevant disciplinary process even if they did not participate in the investigation. This is always the case. See Q10.