Statement from the Judicial Board: Graffiti

The Judicial Board is to be informed and trained to stay up to date on any policy changes that could affect the adjudication process. The Judicial Board's commitment to a clear understanding of policy is essential in light of the email sent by PCCC on October 3rd to members of the community. Policies that the Judicial Board seeks to understand to adjudicate on formally are not limited to: Title IX, the Discriminatory and Harassment Misconduct Policy, Alcohol and Other Drug Policy, Academic Conduct Policy, and the Honor Principle. In our investigations into any new changes to college policy, it is crucial to note that there is no distinct "graffiti policy" previously passed by faculty and students. The Student Judicial Board and its advisors understand the email to be an update on Reed College's practice around graffiti rather than a policy change.

Discriminatory graffiti has and is already prohibited on Reed College by the Discriminatory and Harassment Policy and/or Honor Principle. The requirements to send a complaint already task complainants with citing any alleged violations of policy or the Honor Principle when bringing a complaint to the Board against a respondent. If they do not, the Judicial Board Chair will reach out and gather further clarification. If further clarification is received and the complaint meets the requirements, the Judicial Board chair forms a hearing board. This board then holds a hearing to deliberate on the facts presented in the case to determine whether a policy and/or an Honor Principle violation occurred. "Community expectations" is not enshrined in policy, and the Honor Principle is left up to each member of the Reed Community to cultivate their own understanding of honor.

It's when the definitions of the Honor Principle between the complainant and respondent are contradictory that the Board decides if the events in question constitute that violation. As a board made up of Reed College students for the Reed community, the Judicial Board exists as a resource to request a formal adjudication on an alleged violation of a policy and/or honor principle. The Board's authority to operate as a fact-finding body comes from the Judicial Board Code, one of many governance documents by Reed that were voted on and updated by students and faculty.