What is Harassment?
Comments or conduct that are known or would be perceived by a reasonable person to be unwelcome could be considered harassment. When the unwelcome comments or conduct are linked to someone’s physical characteristics or known identity, this especially may be considered harassment. While, in general, harassment is considered to be repeated unwelcome comments or conduct, one egregious incident could be serious enough to be considered harassment.
Harassment may take many forms, but some of the most common forms include:
- Verbal harassment — such as unwelcome jokes, epithets, slurs, negative stereotyping, and unwelcome remarks about an individual’s physical appearance, questions about a person’s sexual practices, or gossiping about sexual relations;
- Physical harassment — such as physical interference with one’s activities, impeding or blocking movement, assault, unwelcome physical contact, leering at a person’s body, and threatening, intimidating or hostile acts;
- Visual harassment — such as offensive or obscene photographs, drawings and gestures, display of sexually suggestive objects, unwelcome notes or letters, and any other written or graphic material that denigrates or shows hostility toward an individual;
- Sexual harassment — There are two distinct categories of sexual harassment:
- When an individual’s submission to or rejection of unwelcome sexual conduct is used as a basis for decisions about their participation in the organization; and
- When unwelcome sexual conduct unreasonably interferes with an individual’s participation in the organization or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment, even if it does not lead to tangible consequences.
Harassment of any sort is not acceptable.
Preventing Harassment
In order to prevent incidents of harassment within MN Rovers, we commit to taking pro-active steps to make all members aware of our anti-harassment policy and to foster a culture that doesn’t tolerate harassment. This policy should be sent to new members when they join.
Preventing situations from rising to the level of harassment and resolving conflicts as soon as they occur should be our central goal. This means establishing a culture in the organization where recipients of unwelcome conduct feel confident to immediately speak up, and where their request to desist with unwelcome conduct are respected. Similarly, we want a culture where others will feel responsible to immediately intervene when they witness someone being harassed.
What to do about harassment
Any MN Rovers member who believes they have been subject to harassment by another member should first discuss directly with the individual(s) in question, if they feel comfortable doing so. If they do not feel comfortable talking to the other individual or if the behavior doesn’t stop they should promptly report the matter to a member of the MN Rovers Board, so that it can receive the organization’s immediate attention. Any member, who becomes aware of possible harassment, even if it is not directed toward them, should also either talk to the individual in question or report it to a board member.
Resolution of harassment cases
The board reserves the right to do a background check on the members involved in the complaint as part of a larger investigation.
At the conclusion of its investigation, if the board determines a violation of the harassment policy has occurred, it will take effective remedial action commensurate with the severity of the offense. This action may include disciplinary action against the accused party, up to and including temporary suspension or termination. Where possible, through discussion with all involved parties, resolutions that are agreed by all and ensure the continued uninhibited participation of all will be arrived at. Steps will be taken, as reasonable and necessary, to prevent any further violations of the policy.
The board has the authority to terminate membership based on Minnesota Statute Chapter 317A, Section 411.
Retaliation for reporting any incidents of harassment, or perceived harassment, for making any complaints of harassment, or participating in any investigation of incidents of harassment, or perceived harassment, is not acceptable and constitutes a violation of the harassment policy.
Anti-Harassment Policy