Harassment Policy

It is the policy of Newtown Friends School to provide a non-discriminatory school

environment which includes freedom from harassment of its employees and students in
any form. This includes harassment based on race, color, reliion, national oriin, ae,
ender, se!ual orientation, or disability. The policy re"uires each employee to e!hibit, in
both conduct and communications, sound #udment and respect for the feelins and
sensitivities of every employee and all students. Harassment in the wor$place is a
violation of the School%s policy and it is unlawful. This policy applies to all employees at
all levels of the School. &ny administrator, faculty or staff member who enaes in
harassment is sub#ect to disciplinary action, up to and includin termination of
employment.
Harassment
The ''() considers harassment to be in violation of the law and has official uidelines
definin harassment in the wor$place. Harassment means any unwelcome, intimidatin
or deroatory slur, #o$e, comment, communication, conduct or action relatin to the race,
color, reliion, national oriin, ae, ender, se!ual orientation, or disability of another
individual or roup of individuals.
'thnic Harassment
&ny unwelcome, intimidatin or deroatory slur, #o$e, comment, word, phrase,
communication, conduct or action desined to characteri*e or offend a iven individual
or roup of individuals based upon their race, color, reliion or national oriin and which
create an offensive educational or employment environment for that individual or roup
of individuals.
Se!ual Harassment
Se!ual harassment includes any unwelcome conduct of a se!ual nature when+
,- submission to such conduct is made either implicitly or e!plicitly a term or condition
of an individual%s employment.
/- submission to or re#ection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for
employment decisions affectin an individual.
0- such conduct has the purpose or effect of substantially interferin with an individual%s
wor$ performance or creatin an intimidatin, hostile, or offensive wor$in environment.
Se!ual harassment is not social or courtin behavior. It is uninvited and unwanted and is
best seen as an assertion of power
Se!ual harassment between employees will be considered to consist of, but not be limited
to, the followin behaviors+
1nwelcome se!ual advances, either verbal or physical in nature
2eprecatory, deroatory or ob#ectionable remar$s and3or behavior of a se!ual nature
Inappropriate personal3se!ual "uestions and3or remar$s
Se!ually e!plicit or suestive remar$s about a person%s physical attributes,
clothin or behavior
Se!ually stereotyped or se!ually chared insults, humor or verbal abuse
&dult3Student 4elationships
The Newtown Friends School community feels stronly that any adult3student
relationship which involves se!ual overtones is even more serious in nature than a se!ual
harassment issue. &ny adult3student relationship which involves either verbal or physical
se!ual conduct or suestions is considered to be inappropriate, hihly unethical, may be
illeal, and will be treated as child se!ual abuse.
In adult3student relationships, the power imbalance and the student%s relative ine!perience
ma$e a stron sense of professional and institutional responsibility an imperative.
Therefore, all se!ual advances and interaction are prohibited between adults and students.
Faculty and staff behavior in respect to students must be above suspicion. &ny Newtown
Friends School employee found to be in violation of either the spirit or letter of this
policy will be sub#ect to appropriate disciplinary action, which may include immediate
termination.
)omplaint Procedure
&ny employee who has been sub#ected to harassment of any $ind is encouraed to
immediately contact his3her supervisor or the Head of School. If the harassment involves
the supervisor, s3he should contact the Head of School. If the Head of School is involved,
the employee should contact the cler$ of the School )ommittee. &ny supervisor who is
made aware of a possible harassment situation is to notify the Head of School. The school
administrators understand that, in some cases, the person who feels harassed may want
to try to solve the problem on his3her own, first informally, to avoid brinin formal
chares. The School respects the decision of any employee who tries to end an
uncomfortable situation informally, but is ready to proceed formally at any stae.
&ny employee who believes he or she is bein harassed should+
)onsider carefully whether the conduct in "uestion is harassment
)onfront the person responsible, re"uestin the conduct cease
Ta$e a complaint throuh lines of supervision 5as previously stated- if the problem is
not resolved or if the incident is serious in nature
&nyone who believes that a student is bein harassed by an adult should+
)onsider carefully whether the conduct in "uestion is harassment
)onfront the person responsible, re"uestin the conduct cease
Ta$e a complaint throuh lines of supervision 5as previously stated- if the problem is
not resolved or if the incident is serious in nature
(nce a complaint is brouht to the attention of the school, the procedure is as follows+
& prompt and impartial investiation of the complaint is conducted by the
administrator receivin the complaint or by another specifically desinated representative
of the school. That investiation may include 5but will not necessarily be limited to-
interviews with the complainant, with the person or persons aainst whom the complaint
was made, and with other employees or students who may have witnessed the reported
incident5s-.
1pon completion of the investiation, the administrator who conducted that
investiation will meet individually with the complainant and the employee or employees
aainst whom the complaint was made, to report the results of the investiation and,
where an action is determined to be appropriate, to inform the parties of the steps that
will be ta$en to correct the situation.
The investiation will be conducted to protect as much as possible the privacy of the
individuals involved, but employees should be aware that information must be shared in
order for an effective investiation to be conducted. &ny administrator who receives a
complaint of harassment from an employee or who otherwise $nows or has reason to
believe that an employee is or has been sub#ected to harassment is e!pected to report the
matter promptly. There will be no retaliation aainst any employee or student who
complains of harassment or who participates in the investiation of such a complaint.
If harassment has been found to have occurred, the followin disciplinary responses will
be instituted, accordin to the level of severity of the harassment+
)ounselin only
Probation coupled with counselin
Suspension
Termination
&ny school employee determined to be uilty of any form of se!ual abuse will be
immediately terminated.