2.4.4 Workplace And Sexual Harassment

Policy: 2.4.1

Workplace And Sexual Harassment

Date of Policy Adoption: January 25, 2000

Revised Effective Date: January 25, 2000

Scope: All Employee Groups

Policy

Yavapai College is committed to providing an environment that is free of sexual harassment or any harassment based on gender, race, national origin, age, religion, disability, or any other status protected under state, federal or local law.

Any complaint of harassment will be treated in a confidential manner to the extent feasible. All students and employees are assured that they will be free from any and all retaliation for filing such complaints. Anyone taking retaliatory action against an individual who has either made a sexual harassment complaint, or has assisted in the investigation of a sexual harassment complaint, will be subject to action taken by the College, up to and including dismissal from employment and/or expulsion from school.

Definitions

Sexual harassment includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal, visual, or physical conduct of a sexual nature. No supervisor or other employee may indicate in any manner, either explicitly or implicitly, that an employee’s, student’s or applicant’s refusal to submit to sexual advances will adversely affect that person’s employment, any term or condition of employment, or academic progress. Similarly, no employee may promise, imply or grant any preferential treatment in return for another’s promise to engage in sexual activity.

Sexual harassment also includes unwelcome sexual flirtations, advances or propositions, verbal abuse of a sexual nature, unnecessary touching of an individual, sexually degrading words used to describe an individual, any display in the workplace of sexually suggestive objects or pictures, sexually explicit or offensive jokes, or physical assault, where the conduct has either the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive working environment.

Procedure

An individual who feels that s/he has been sexually harassed is encouraged to tell the individual seen as causing the situation that his or her comments or conduct are offensive and ask them to stop the conduct. If the attempt to resolve the situation directly has failed, or if the individual does not want to confront the person seen as causing the situation, the individual must report the problem to either the Human Resources Director or designee, the Assistant Dean for Student Services or designee, or the Executive Dean of the campus where the incident occurred or where the employee or student resides, or his/her designee. This report should be made as soon as possible.

An investigating officer from the College will interview the complainant and, where circumstances warrant, conduct an investigation. The person charged will be notified, in writing, of the complaint and the circumstances involved in the claim. They may address the claim, in writing, and may produce evidence, witnesses or any other support documentation that they believe will be helpful to their case. The investigation will proceed in a timely and prompt manner. If the investigation reveals that the complaint appears to be valid, immediate and appropriate corrective action, up to and including removal of the charged individual from their normal affiliation with the College, will be taken to stop the harassment and prevent its recurrence.

Date of Policy Adoption: January 25, 2000

Effective Date: January 25, 2000

_________________________________

Dr. Ed Harris, Board Chair