Investigating Harassment Complaints —Fiorenza

All interviews should take place promptly while the incident is fresh in the witnesses’ memories.

The investigator should plan the interviews carefully. If possible, he/she should prepare a detailed list of questions designed to prove or disprove the violation of a specified policy or law.

Interviewing the complainant. Start the investigation by interviewing the complaining witness, i.e., the individual directly affected by the alleged misconduct and asking him/her for the names of witnesses and all corroborating details. (In cases where the complainant prefers to speak to someone of the same sex about the alleged harassment, an attempt should be made to find a suitable person to conduct this interview.) Here are some questions, the investigator may ask: