Learners tell us that one of the biggest barriers to coming forward is that they fear retaliation for reporting issues that they have witnessed or experienced.
We acknowledge that fear and want to share with you some of the steps that we are taking to address it:
The University of Toronto Temerty Faculty of Medicine will NOT tolerate retribution or reprisal towards someone who comes forward with concerns in good faith. Retaliation is its own form of learner mistreatment. Whenever we escalate a report or disclosure, we remind all parties of this policy.
We are committed to investigating any allegations of retaliation against learners and will take disciplinary action if it is confirmed. If you believe you are a victim of retaliation, please store any electronic correspondence (emails, text messages) that relates to this. We also encourage you to record, discuss, disclose, or report your experiences in real-time.
You do not need to decide whether you want to make a formal report before coming forward to speak with us. Our role is to discuss with you the differences between disclosures and reports and to help you decide what next steps will make you feel comfortable, safe, and supported. After discussing an issue, if you decide that you do not want to file a formal report, or that you need more time to think about it, we will respect that (provided that the events you describe do not require mandatory reporting). Depending on a learner’s wishes and the details of a situation, we may also be able to de-identify a report, or stagger the timing of the escalation of a report.
