Procedure 407.01: Notification of Convicted Sex Offender

Pursuant to RCW 4.24.550, Grays Harbor College is authorized to release information to the public regarding sex offenders and kidnapping offenders when the College determines that disclosure of the information is relevant and necessary to protect the public and counteract the danger created by the particular offender.

All official communications regarding the student(s) will come from the relevant Vice President or designee. Decisions regarding the extent of the information supplied by the College to the College community will be at the discretion of college officials.

The extent of the public disclosure of relevant and necessary information shall be rationally related to:

1. the level of risk posed by the offender to the community
2. the locations where the offender resides, expects to reside, or is regularly found
3. the needs of the affected community members for information to enhance their individual and collective safety

Requests for additional information will be referred to the appropriate law enforcement agency.

Procedure:

1. All registered sex offenders or kidnapping offenders, regardless of level, before enrolling in classes for the first time must:
   1. Meet with the relevant Vice President, or designee, and self-disclose their status.
   2. Provide any requested information and releases of information related to their crimes, treatment, risk level classification, compliance history, victim profile or any other information deemed by the College to be important to safety.
   3. Agree to comply with any conditions or restrictions as part of a safety plan and/or behavioral contract that limits access, interactions or participation. Behavioral contracts shall specify consequences for non-compliance and shall be signed by the College and the student.

Failure to comply will be grounds for denial of admission. If already admitted, failure to comply will be grounds for dismissal under the provisions of WAC 132B-125 Student procedural violations.

The requirement for registered sex offenders or kidnapping offenders to meet with the relevant Vice President or designee before admission, shall be published in the College catalog, quarterly schedule, and selected admission materials.

The Office of the relevant Vice President and/or the Campus Safety Office shall be designated to receive official notifications from the County Sheriff’s Office or other police agencies and will additionally coordinate notification on campus. The Campus Safety Office will maintain the following records:

• Copies of all files, photos and other correspondence provided by other agencies.
• Record of all notifications made.
• Copies of all community advisory flyers or other public notices.

In the case of a College employee, the human resources office will maintain the file and, with consultation of the president, shall coordinate notification. Suggested notifications, adjusted on a case-by-case basis, shall be guided by the risk classification of the registered sex offender.

Classification of sex offenders is based on low, medium or high risk of re-offense within the community at large.  In general, the following notification and restriction procedures will be followed:

Level 1 – Low Risk:

Notifications (case-by-case, including but not limited to): relevant Vice President; Dean of Student Services and Enrollment Management, and on campus Childcare Center Lead.

Restrictions (case-by-case, including but not limited to): Employment that cannot be continually supervised, or has unsupervised access to locations in which persons under age 18 are present, or has access to student records, or involves unsupervised access to recreational areas; Specified areas or places on or near the campus.                                              

Level 2 – Medium Risk:

Notifications (case-by-case, including but not limited to): All administrators notified in level l; faculty and staff in whose program the student is enrolled; librarians; learning center/writing center; computer labs; law enforcement flyer placed on designated bulletin boards throughout campus; by email send notification and link to law enforcement website to students in whose class the offender is enrolled; by email send notification and link to Washington State Sex Offender website to students in a club or organization in which the student is a member; if employed at the College, send notification to supervisor and co-workers; any other program or office with whom the student has or is likely to have contact.

Restrictions (case-by-case, as part of the behavioral contract with the relevant Vice President, including but not limited to): All level 1 restrictions; any club, organization, or activity in which students officially represent the College to off-campus parties; any position of authority or power that has access to student information or that can influence students or employees; any club or organization officer; field trips and outings; group projects; certain classes or programs; in addition to level 1 job restrictions, any job that requires or permits extended unsupervised personal contact with other students or staff members, or poses a threat to safety or security.

Level 3 – High Risk:

Notifications (case-by-case, including but not limited to): All level 2 notifications; all College employees via email and link to Sheriff’s website with a picture and notice on the GHC website; any other legal means to get the information out to the College community.  The College may provide special notification to students in classes in which the level offender is enrolled.

Restrictions (case-by-case, including but not limited to):

1. All level 1 and 2 restrictions; may not be employed by or through the college; may not be a member of any club, organization, or co or extra-curricular activity.
2. Upon learning of the enrollment and/or presence of a convicted sex offender, the President or designee will designate an appropriate college official who may notify the offender that his/her identity and relevant conviction information will be released to appropriate members of the College community. The information, or any other notification, should not be used in any manner to injure, harass, or commit a criminal act against any individual named in the registry, or residing at the reported address. Any such action could subject a person to criminal prosecution and/or disciplinary action including dismissal from the college in accordance with the provisions of WAC 132B-125-020.
3. Should members of the campus community require notification, it may occur through the College website, bulletin board postings, campus mail, classroom notifications or other appropriate means of communication.
4. Faculty Notification: The relevant Vice President shall notify faculty members of registered sex offenders or kidnapping offenders who enroll in their classes. The relevant Vice President shall share information about any restrictions or limitations or other information that will improve safety and create a climate more conducive to teaching and learning. The registered sex offender or kidnapping offender shall meet individually with the faculty member, disclose his or her status, discuss any restrictions or limitations, and discuss any potential teaching or learning conflicts that might arise.
5. Other than the notification procedure, the student will be provided other student rights and privacy protections, as for all other students.

The data is reported by police agencies, and the College does not edit nor check the accuracy of the information it receives from law enforcement agencies. Therefore, the College cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information AND registrants may have moved without notifying the proper Sheriff’s Department. Grays Harbor College shall NOT be responsible for any errors or omissions produced by this secondary dissemination of this information.

Grays Harbor College officials and employees are immune from civil liability for damages for any release of relevant and necessary information unless acting with gross negligence or in bad faith (RCW 4.24.550).