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Institutional Policy

Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy

Canadian Ultrasound Institute & Research Centre is committed to maintaining a campus free of discrimination and harassment, and to supporting those who experience sexual violence with dignity and respect.
Approved by the Director, Administration  ·  Reviewed August 18, 2026  ·  Next review August 2029

If you have experienced sexual violence

Support is available whether or not you choose to make a report. You are not required to file a complaint to access support, services or accommodation.
Hope 24/7 — Sexual Assault Centre of Peel
24-hour crisis line, Peel Region
Assaulted Women’s Helpline
24-hour, province-wide
Good2Talk
Post-secondary student helpline

To speak with someone at the Institute, contact the President at 647-909-7865 or the Director, Administration at 905-507-4756. Additional regional and provincial resources are listed at the end of this policy.

On this page
1. Sexual Violence Policy2. Definition of Sexual Violence3. Reporting and Responding4. Investigating Reports5. Disciplinary Measures6. Appeal7. Withdrawing a Complaint8. Protection from Reprisals9. Addressing Complaints10. Unsubstantiated Complaints11. Confidentiality12. Cross References13. Institute Contacts14. Making False Statements15. Review and ApprovalSupport Resources

1. Sexual Violence Policy

  1. The Institute is committed to providing its students with an educational environment free from sexual violence and to treating students who report incidents of sexual violence with dignity and respect.
  2. The Institute has adopted this Policy, which defines sexual violence and outlines its training, reporting, investigative and disciplinary responses to complaints of sexual violence made by its students that have occurred on its campus, or at one of its events involving its students.
  3. The person accused of engaging in sexual violence will be referred to as the “Respondent” and the person making the allegation as the “Complainant”.

2. Definition of Sexual Violence

Sexual violence means any sexual act or act targeting a person’s sexuality, gender identity or gender expression, whether the act is physical or psychological in nature, that is committed, threatened or attempted against a person without the person’s consent, and includes sexual assault, sexual harassment, stalking, indecent exposure, voyeurism and sexual exploitation.

3. Reporting and Responding to Sexual Violence

  1. The Institute shall include a copy of this Policy in every contract made between it and its students, and provide a copy to Institute management, instructors, staff, other employees and contractors, and train them about the Policy and its processes for reporting, investigating and responding to complaints of sexual violence involving its students. Any company participating in offering student practicum placements on its premises must provide a written undertaking that it is in compliance with all applicable legislation, including the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Occupational Health and Safety Act, and will provide students access to those policies should they encounter issues relating to sexual violence in the workplace.
  2. This Policy shall be published on the Institute’s website.
  3. Institute management, instructors, staff, other employees and contractors will report incidents or complaints of sexual violence to the Institute’s Director, Administration upon becoming aware of them.
  4. Students who have been affected by sexual violence, or who need information about support services, should contact the Institute’s Director, Administration.
  5. Subject to Section 11, to the extent possible the Institute will attempt to keep all personal information of persons involved in an investigation confidential, except where it believes an individual is at imminent risk of self-harm or of harming another, or there are reasonable grounds to believe others on campus or in the broader community are at risk. This will be done by:
    1. ensuring that all complaints, reports and information gathered are available only to those who need to know for the purposes of investigation, implementing safety measures and other circumstances arising from a given case; and
    2. ensuring that documentation is kept in a file separate from that of the Complainant or the Respondent.
  6. The Institute recognizes the right of the Complainant not to report an incident, not to make a complaint, not to request an investigation, and not to participate in any investigation that may occur. If students, in good faith, report an incident of or make a complaint about sexual violence, they will not be subject to discipline or sanctions for violations of the Institute’s policies relating to drug or alcohol use at the time the alleged sexual violence occurred.
  7. Students who disclose their experience of sexual violence will not be asked irrelevant questions during the investigation process by the Institute’s staff or investigators, including irrelevant questions relating to the student’s sexual expression or past sexual history.
  8. Notwithstanding paragraph (f), in certain circumstances the Institute may be required by law or by its internal policies to initiate an internal investigation and/or inform police without the Complainant’s consent, if it believes the safety of members of its campus or the broader community is at risk.
  9. In all cases, the Institute will appropriately accommodate the needs of students affected by sexual violence. Students seeking accommodation should contact the Director, Administration.
The Institute will assist students who have experienced sexual violence in obtaining counselling and medical care, and will provide information about sexual violence supports and services available in the community. Students are not required to file a formal complaint in order to access supports and services.

4. Investigating Reports of Sexual Violence

  1. Any student of the Institute may file a report of an incident or a complaint with the Director, Administration in writing. The other officials involved in the investigation are the Director, Education and the Program Director.
  2. Upon receipt of a report or complaint, the Director, Administration will respond promptly and:
    1. determine whether an investigation should proceed and whether the Complainant wishes to participate;
    2. determine who should conduct the investigation, having regard to the seriousness of the allegation and the parties involved;
    3. determine whether the incident should be referred immediately to police. Where police involvement or civil proceedings occur, the Institute may conduct its own independent investigation and make its own determination in accordance with its policies and procedures; and
    4. determine what interim measures should be put in place pending the investigation, such as removal of the Respondent or alternate methods of providing necessary course studies.
  3. Once an investigation is initiated, the following will occur:
    1. the Complainant and the Respondent will be advised that they may ask another person to be present throughout the investigation;
    2. interviewing the Complainant to ensure a complete understanding of the allegation and to gather additional information, such as the date and time of the incident, the persons involved, the names of any witnesses and a complete description of what occurred;
    3. informing and interviewing the Respondent, providing details of the allegations and an opportunity to respond and to provide any witnesses the Respondent feels are essential;
    4. interviewing any person who has or may have knowledge of the incident and any identified witnesses;
    5. providing reasonable updates to the Complainant and the Respondent about the status of the investigation; and
    6. following the investigation, the Director, Administration will review all evidence collected, determine whether sexual violence occurred, and if so determine what disciplinary action should be taken under Section 5.

5. Disciplinary Measures

If it is determined that the Respondent did engage in sexual violence, immediate disciplinary or corrective action will be taken. This may include:
  1. disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment of instructors or staff;
  2. expulsion of a student;
  3. the placement of restrictions on the Respondent’s ability to access certain premises or facilities; and/or
  4. any other actions that may be appropriate in the circumstances.

6. Appeal

Should the Complainant or the Respondent not agree with the decision resulting from the investigation, they may appeal the decision to the Institute’s President within five (5) days by submitting a letter addressed to the President at the address listed in Section 13, advising of their intent to appeal.

7. Right to Withdraw a Complaint

A Complainant has the right to withdraw a complaint at any stage of the process. However, the Institute may continue to act on the issue identified in the complaint in order to comply with its obligations under this Policy and its legal obligations.

8. Protection from Reprisals, Retaliation or Threats

It is contrary to this Policy for anyone to retaliate, engage in reprisals, or threaten to retaliate against a Complainant or other individual for:
  1. having pursued rights under this Policy or the Ontario Human Rights Code;
  2. having participated or co-operated in an investigation under this Policy or the Ontario Human Rights Code; or
  3. having been associated with someone who has pursued rights under this Policy or the Ontario Human Rights Code.
Anyone engaged in such conduct may be subject to sanctions and/or discipline.

9. Addressing Complaints

A person may choose to confide in anyone about an act of sexual violence – a fellow student, professor, instructor, teaching assistant, coach or staff member. Everyone on campus will have access to basic information on how to provide a compassionate and reassuring response.

Step 1 - First response

The first responder at the Institute is the Director, Administration, who will provide information about campus and community services that are immediately available, and will:
  • listen without judgement and accept the disclosure as true;
  • understand that communicating about sexual violence is never the responsibility of the victim;
  • help the survivor identify and access available on- or off-campus services, including emergency medical care, and respect the survivor’s right to choose the services they feel are most appropriate and whether to report to police;
  • recognize that disclosure can be traumatic and that a survivor’s ability to recall events may be limited;
  • respect the survivor’s choices as to what and how much they disclose; and
  • make every effort to respect confidentiality and anonymity.

Step 2 - Ongoing support

  • helping the survivor decide whether to formally report the incident, including an explanation of criminal justice proceedings or the Institute’s disciplinary process (see the Student Complaint Procedure Form issued at registration, or request a copy from the Director, Administration);
  • helping the survivor develop a safety plan;
  • providing referrals to counselling, peer groups and other campus and community services;
  • supporting a requested change in residence or campus housing;
  • facilitating academic considerations, such as extensions on assignments, a request to drop a class, or continuing studies from home; and
  • if requested, assisting the survivor in contacting family members or friends.

Step 3 - Further measures

  • conducting internal investigations to gather evidence and present findings to the appropriate adjudication body (in some circumstances, an investigation can only be pursued by a bona fide police service);
  • following or implementing measures to manage the alleged perpetrator while an investigation is taking place, which may be done with the guidance of the local police service; and
  • putting in place measures to protect the survivor, where possible, from the alleged perpetrator (for example, no-contact orders), and co-operating with local police in their investigations.

10. Unsubstantiated or Vexatious Complaints

If a person, in good faith, discloses or files a sexual violence complaint that is not supported by evidence gathered during an investigation, that complaint will be dismissed.Disclosures or complaints found following investigation to be frivolous, vexatious or bad faith complaints — that is, made to purposely annoy, embarrass or harm the Respondent – may result in sanctions and/or discipline against the Complainant.

11. Confidentiality

Confidentiality is particularly important to those who have disclosed sexual violence. The confidentiality of all persons involved in a report of sexual violence must be strictly observed, and the Institute does its best to respect the confidentiality of all persons, including the Complainant, the Respondent and witnesses.However, confidentiality cannot be assured in the following circumstances:
  1. an individual is at imminent risk of self-harm;
  2. an individual is at imminent risk of harming another; and/or
  3. there are reasonable grounds to believe that others in the Institute or the wider community may be at risk of harm.
In such circumstances, information would only be shared with the services necessary to prevent harm, and the name of the survivor would not be released to the public.Where the Institute becomes aware of an allegation of sexual violence by a member of the Institute community against another member, the Institute may also have an obligation to take steps to ensure the matter is dealt with in order to comply with its legal obligations and policies. In such cases, certain Institute administrators will be informed on a need-to-know and confidential basis, but not necessarily of the identities of the persons involved.

12. Cross References to Other Policies and Legal Requirements

  • Ontario Career Colleges Act, 2005
  • Student Handbook — available at the front desk or from the Director, Administration
  • The Criminal Code, R.S.C. 1985, c. C-46
  • The Ontario Human Rights Code
  • Occupational Health and Safety Act

To contact the Sexual Assault / Domestic Violence Treatment Centre in Ontario nearest you, contact the Ontario Network of Sexual Assault / Domestic Violence Treatment Centres, 76 Grenville Street, Toronto, ON M5S 1B2 — 416-323-7327.

13. Institute Contacts

Khalil Lakho — Director, Administration
10 Kingsbridge Garden Circle, Suite 400, Mississauga, ON L5R 3K7
Phone: 905-507-4756  ·  Email: canadianultrasound@gmail.com
Moeena Khalil — President
10 Kingsbridge Garden Circle, Suite 400, Mississauga, ON L5R 3K7
Phone: 647-909-7865 ·  Email: canadianultrasound@gmail.com

14. Making False Statements

  1. It is a violation of this Policy for anyone to knowingly make a false complaint of sexual violence or to provide false information about a complaint.
  2. Individuals who violate this Policy are subject to disciplinary and/or corrective action, up to and including termination of employment.

15. Review and Approval

This Policy has been approved by the Director, Administration of Canadian Ultrasound Institute & Research Centre, and is reviewed at least once every three years, or more frequently as required, to ensure ongoing compliance with the Ontario Career Colleges Act, 2005, the Ontario Human Rights Code and other applicable legislation.Any revisions to this Policy must be formally documented, dated and communicated to all students, staff, faculty and other members of the Institute community. Updates will also be reflected in the Student Handbook and on the Institute website.

Review date: August 18, 2026  ·  Next review: August 2029

Support Resources

Student and regional resources

RegionResourceTelephone
AllGood2Talk — Ontario Post-Secondary Student Helpline1-866-925-5454
PeelHope 24/7 — Sexual Assault Centre of Peel1-800-810-0180
TorontoToronto Rape Crisis Centre416-597-8808
YorkWomen’s Support Network of York Region1-800-263-6734
DurhamDurham Rape Crisis Centre905-668-9200
Province-wideAssaulted Women’s Helpline1-866-863-0511
FrançaisFem’aide1-877-336-2433

Sexual Assault / Domestic Violence Treatment Centres

These hospital-based centres provide 24/7 emergency care to people who have been sexually assaulted and to victims and survivors of domestic violence. Services include emergency medical care, crisis intervention, collection of forensic evidence, access to emergency contraception and preventative treatment for sexually transmitted infections, medical follow-up, counselling, and referral to community resources.You can choose to have centre staff conduct a physical examination, offer medical care, and/or collect physical (forensic) evidence. It is your decision whether you wish to report to police or provide the forensic evidence.

Sexual Assault / Rape Crisis Centres

These centres offer a wide variety of services to victims and survivors of sexual violence aged 16 and over, including a 24-hour anonymous crisis and support telephone line, individual and group counselling, court, police and hospital accompaniment, information on the legal system, and community referrals. Francophone services are available in designated areas.

A full list of provincial rape crisis centres by city is available from the Canadian Association of Sexual Assault Centres and from the Director, Administration on request.