(1) Brief adjudicative proceedings shall be conducted by a conduct review officer designated by the president. The conduct review officer shall not participate in any case in which they are a complainant or witness, or in which they have direct or personal interest, prejudice, or bias, or in which they have acted previously in an advisory capacity.
(2) Before taking action, the conduct review officer shall conduct an informal hearing and provide each party:
(a) An opportunity to be informed of the agency's view of the matter; and
(b) An opportunity to explain the party's view of the matter.
(3) The conduct review officer shall serve an initial decision upon the parties within ten business days of consideration of the appeal. The initial decision shall contain a brief written statement of the reasons for the decision and information about how to seek administrative review of the initial decision. If no request for review is filed within twenty-one days of service of the initial decision, the initial decision shall be deemed the final decision.
(4) If the matter is an appeal by the respondent, or the complainant in the case of sexual misconduct, the conduct review officer may affirm, reverse, or modify the disciplinary sanctions and/or conditions imposed by the student conduct officer and/or impose additional disciplinary sanctions or conditions as authorized herein. If the conduct review officer, upon review, determines that the respondent's conduct may warrant imposition of a disciplinary suspension of more than ten instructional days or expulsion, the matter shall be referred to the student conduct committee for a disciplinary hearing.
(5) In cases involving allegations of sexual misconduct, the conduct review officer, on the same date as the initial decision is served on the respondent, will serve a written notice upon the complainant of the decision, the reasons for the decision, and a description of any disciplinary sanctions and/or conditions that may have been imposed upon the respondent. The notice will also inform the complainant of their appeal rights.
[Statutory Authority: Chapter
34.05 RCW and RCW
28B.50.140(13); P.L. 113-4, 20 U.S.C. § 1092(f); Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, 20 U.S.C. § 1681 et seq. WSR 21-01-008, § 132H-126-200, filed 12/2/20, effective 1/2/21; WSR 19-01-082, § 132H-126-200, filed 12/17/18, effective 1/17/19.]