Setting Boundaries: Obtaining a No-Contact Order from Community Safety

What happens if you feel someone in the community has, or is, acting dishonorably toward you or others? Well, of course, the Honor Council can mediate, and the J-Board can help you in situations where mediation isn’t appropriate—but did you know that you also have the right to a no-contact order for situations where neither of those two avenues may be possible or appropriate? If you ever feel unsafe around any community member—even if they have not directly or physically harmed you—you have the right to request that Community Safety establish a no-contact policy between you and that person.

No-Contact Orders are granted by the office of Community Safety and look something like the text below:

“Effective immediately, and until further notice, you are not to attempt to contact [name] in any way (fact-to-face, via written message, telephone or any electronic media). In an effort to minimize the chances of any problematic interactions, I have asked [name] to abide by the same guidelines. Reed is a small campus, and for many students, it may be difficult to avoid all contact (e.g., walking in the same vicinity, eating in Commons, going to class, etc.). While I do not expect either of you to leave campus, miss appointments, or fundamentally alter your daily routine in any way that would cause you significant inconvenience, I will ask each of you to do your best to stay out of each other’s way, including avoiding any unnecessary visits to each other’s dorms or residences.”

No-contact orders are not permanent, and can be reassessed at any time. It should be noted that although the CSOs will help enforce them on campus, no-contact orders do not have legal standing like court-granted restraining or stalking orders, the latter of which can result in prison time if violated. If you feel like one of these legal orders would be more appropriate to your situation, contact a lawyer that can give you an accurate understanding of the pros and cons of each.

Relatedly, since Reed No-Contact Orders can have the potential to, at some point, relate to issues being dealt with by the outside legal system, it is highly recommended that all correspondences related to them be made in writing. That is: Don’t make them over the phone or in person, if at all possible! If an administrator attempts to contact you in one of these ways, just ask that they contact you in writing.

Good luck and be safe.

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