I stand by Rebecca Bryant Novak, a University of Rochester student who is now expelled after reporting mistreatment.

To do their best work/research—and to live their fullest lives—people need to feel safe. This includes feeling safe to make reports if mistreatment occurs.  I don’t know the details of the case, but when someone makes a report, and some action is later taken against them, it erodes the reporter’s sense of safety. It erodes everyone’s sense of safety.

I have been a student at Rochester for 11 years, and I have learned so much. I have grown so much. I’ve also witnessed firsthand how difficult the reporting experience can be (as it might be anywhere), and I relate to the story here. 

There are many complex factors that go into a report and its investigation. Often, there are multiple sides to a story, neutral investigation is challenging, and mistakes can be made by anyone involved—everyone is human.  However, the existence and continual improvement of the reporting systems in the face of this complexity is paramount.

To improve the system—I hope we can all agree—we need to put reporter rights first. This is not always easy, but the payoff is that in the future, someone who feels mistreated will feel safe to speak up, and that is worth it.