There are a number of reasons why an OPHD case may be closed following an initial assessment. The most common reason for this in 2021-2022 was that OPHD did not have sufficient information to move forward (see accompanying figure). This can happen for a variety of reasons; for example, if the complainant does not respond to OPHD’s initial outreach, or the report did not contain sufficient information for OPHD to act on.
The second most common reason for a closure following initial assessment in 2021-2022 was that the complainant requested no investigation. (A common misconception is that once a report is made to OPHD, a complainant must participate in an investigation. This is not true. As the figure shows, complainants are given options. Many complainants decide they do not want a formal investigation.)
Other reasons for a closure following initial assessment include: the alleged conduct reported to OPHD, if true, would not be a violation of university policy, or the university does not have the jurisdiction to act on the complaint.
Note: There can be more than one reason for a case being closed following an initial assessment.