Sexual Violence Policy

What sexual violence means

Sexual violence is any sexual act, or act targeting a person’s sexuality, gender identity or gender expression, whether physical or psychological, committed, threatened or attempted against a person without their consent. It includes sexual assault, sexual harassment, stalking, indecent exposure, voyeurism and sexual exploitation, in person or online.

Consent is the voluntary, ongoing agreement to engage in a specific sexual activity. Silence, lack of resistance or past consent is not consent. A person can’t consent if they are asleep, unconscious, impaired by drugs or alcohol, threatened, coerced, or if someone abuses a position of trust, power or authority over them, such as an instructor over a student. Consent can be withdrawn at any time.

Getting support at PDIO

Contact the Campus Administrator at 365-998-1346 or info@pdio.ca. You can ask for support whether or not you want to report what happened. We can:

• listen and help you work out your options;
• help you make a safety plan;
• connect you with medical care, counselling and the community supports listed below;
• help you contact police, if you choose to;
• arrange accommodations.

You don’t have to report an incident or make a complaint to get supports, services or accommodation.

Accommodation

We will appropriately accommodate students affected by sexual violence, at no cost. Contact the Campus Administrator to arrange accommodation. Examples include:

• moving to a different class, cohort or course date;
• switching between virtual and in-person classes where possible;
• assigning a different in-car instructor or changing in-car times or locations;
• rescheduling evaluations, tests or missed hours;
• other reasonable changes to help you continue your program safely.

Supports in the community

In an emergency, call 911. These services are free and confidential:

Brampton and Peel Region

• Hope 24/7 (Peel’s sexual assault centre): 24-hour crisis line 1-800-810-0180, office 905-792-0821. hope247.ca
• Chantel’s Place, Trillium Health Partners, Mississauga Hospital (hospital-based sexual assault and domestic violence care): 905-848-7580 ext. 2548

Ottawa

• Ottawa Rape Crisis Centre: 24-hour line 613-562-2333 (TTY 613-562-3860)
• Sexual Assault Support Centre of Ottawa: 24-hour line 613-234-2266 (TTY 613-725-1657)
• Sexual Assault and Partner Abuse Care Program, The Ottawa Hospital, Civic Campus: 613-798-5555 ext. 13770 (TTY 613-761-4140)

Anywhere in Ontario

• Assaulted Women’s Helpline (24/7): 1-866-863-0511, TTY 1-866-863-7868, #SAFE (#7233) on mobile
• Victim Support Line: 1-888-579-2888
• Support for male survivors of sexual abuse: 1-866-887-0015
• Fem’aide (French): 1-877-336-2433
• Talk4Healing (Indigenous women): 1-855-554-4325
• 211 Ontario, for help finding local services: call 211
• Find a sexual assault centre near you at ovss.findhelp.ca, or a hospital-based treatment centre at sadvtreatmentcentres.ca

If someone tells you about sexual violence

Listen without judgement and believe them. Let them know it is not their fault. Help them find supports, respect their choices about what to do next, including whether to report, and keep what they tell you confidential except where safety requires otherwise. Instructors, staff and contractors must tell the Campus Administrator, who will make sure the student is offered support and accommodation.

How to report or make a complaint

Report an incident or make a complaint to the Campus Administrator in person, by phone at 365-998-1346 or by email at info@pdio.ca. If your concern involves the Campus Administrator, contact the President of PDIO at info@pdio.ca (mark it “Confidential: for the President”), and the President or their delegate will handle it. You can also report to police at any time, with or without making a complaint to PDIO.

Your choices about an investigation

You may choose not to ask PDIO to investigate, and you have the right not to take part in any investigation that does take place. The Campus Administrator decides whether an incident or complaint will be investigated, taking into account your wishes, whether others may be at risk, and our legal obligations. PDIO may need to investigate without a complaint if there is a risk to the safety of others in the college community. If that happens, we will tell you before we start, explain why, and continue to offer you support.

How investigations and decisions work

1. The Campus Administrator leads the investigation, or appoints a trained, impartial investigator from outside PDIO if the Campus Administrator is involved or has a conflict of interest.
2. The person responding to the complaint is told the details of the allegations and given a fair chance to respond.
3. The investigator meets with the person who made the complaint, the respondent and any witnesses, and reviews any other information, such as messages or records.
4. Both parties have the right to have a person of their choice with them at every stage of the investigation and decision-making process.
5. The Campus Administrator decides, based on the information gathered, whether this policy was breached and what measures to take. If the Campus Administrator is involved, the President or their delegate makes the decision.
6. Both parties receive the decision and the reasons for it in writing. We aim to complete investigations within 30 days, and we will tell both parties if it will take longer.

Procedural fairness means both parties are treated with respect, know the allegations and the evidence being relied on, have a chance to tell their side, are kept informed of the process, and receive an impartial decision with written reasons.

Students who report sexual violence, make a complaint or access supports will not be asked irrelevant questions by PDIO staff or investigators, including irrelevant questions about their sexual expression or past sexual history.

Interim measures

While a complaint is being investigated or a decision is being made, we may put interim measures in place to protect the people involved. Examples:

• a no-contact direction between the parties;
• changes to class, cohort or online meeting arrangements;
• a different in-car instructor, or changes to in-car times or locations;
• temporarily removing an instructor or contractor from teaching or contact with the student;
• a temporary suspension of the respondent from classes or PDIO activities.

Protection from retaliation

No one may retaliate against, or threaten to retaliate against, a person who reports sexual violence, makes a complaint, takes part in an investigation, or supports someone who does. Retaliation is a separate breach of this policy. Measures to prevent and respond to retaliation can include no-contact directions, changes to classes or in-car arrangements, monitoring and follow-up with the person who reported, and discipline up to expulsion or ending a contract.

Possible outcomes

If the investigation finds that this policy was breached, measures may include:

• For students: a written warning, a no-contact direction, required education, removal from a class or cohort, suspension, or expulsion, as set out in our Student Expulsion Policy.
• For instructors and staff: discipline up to and including termination.
• For contractors, volunteers and visitors: removal from PDIO premises, vehicles or activities, and ending the contract or relationship.

If this policy conflicts with our expulsion policy, this policy applies.

Confidentiality

We keep personal information about everyone involved confidential. It is shared only with the people who need it to provide support, accommodation, an investigation or a decision. Records are stored securely and kept separately from your academic file. We may have to share information without consent only if someone is at imminent risk of harming themselves or others, if others in the community may be at risk, or if the law requires it, such as a report about a child in need of protection. If that happens, we share only what is necessary.

No discipline for drug or alcohol use

Students who, in good faith, report an incident of sexual violence or make a complaint will not be disciplined or sanctioned for breaking PDIO’s drug or alcohol rules at the time the alleged sexual violence happened.

Appeals

Either party can appeal a decision in writing within one week of receiving it. Appeals follow the review step of our Student Complaint Procedure: a committee of at least three people who were not involved in the original decision reviews the appeal and gives a written decision with reasons.

Roles and responsibilities

• The President, owners and managers make sure this policy is followed, resourced and reviewed, and that everyone receives training.
• The Campus Administrator provides support and accommodation, receives reports and complaints, decides on and leads investigations, puts interim measures in place and makes decisions.
• Instructors, staff and contractors respond supportively to disclosures, report incidents they become aware of to the Campus Administrator right away, keep information confidential, and cooperate with investigations.
• Students follow this policy and treat others with respect.

Training

PDIO makes training on this policy available by giving a copy of it, including how we respond to incidents and complaints, to owners and managers, instructors, staff and contractors when they start working with us, and to students with their enrolment contract. Everyone is asked to read it, and anyone can ask the Campus Administrator questions about it at any time.

Policy review

We review this policy at least once every three years, and sooner if the law changes, and we consider input from students when we do. Questions or suggestions are welcome at info@pdio.ca.