Harassment-policy

OUR POLICY AGAINST HARASSMENT

Kroka Expeditions has adopted a zero-tolerance policy toward discrimination and all forms of harassment, including but not limited to sexual harassment. This zero tolerance policy means that no form of discriminatory or harassing conduct, as described in more detail below, by or towards any employee, member, vendor, student, or other person on our campus or in our programs will be tolerated. Kroka is committed to enforcing its policy at all levels within our community. Any staff member, student, guest teacher, visitor or volunteer who engages in prohibited discrimination or harassment will be subject to discipline, up to and including immediate suspension or dismissal from a program, discharge from employment, or removal from leadership.

Conduct Covered by this Policy: This policy applies to and prohibits all forms of harassment and discrimination on the basis of any protected characteristic, not only sexual harassment. Accordingly, Kroka Expeditions absolutely prohibits harassment or discrimination based on sex, age, gender identity, physical or mental disability, perceived disability, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, genetic information, military or veteran status or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

Our commitment to prohibit discrimination means that no person, including employees, applicants, or students will be treated differently on the basis of their race, color, creed, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, ancestry, age, sexual orientation, disability, marital status, veteran or military service, genetic information, domestic violence victim status, or any other basis prohibited by local, state or federal law, in all phases of the relationship, including personnel actions, recruitment, hiring, work assignments, compensation decisions, development or training, benefits, disciplinary action, or other aspects of our programs.

“Harassment” means an incident or incidents of verbal, written, visual, or physical conduct, including any incident conducted by electronic means, based on or motivated by an employee’s or an employee family member’s actual or perceived race, creed, color, national origin, marital status, disability, sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity, or any other protected characteristic, that has the purpose or effect of objectively and substantially undermining and detracting from or interfering with a person's ability to do their job or creating an objectively intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment.

Sexual Harassment: Because confusion often arises concerning the meaning of sexual harassment in particular, it deserves special mention. Sexual harassment may take many forms, including the following:

• Offensive and unwelcome sexual invitations, whether or not the person submits to the invitation, and particularly when a spoken or implied quid pro quo for sexual favors is a benefit of employment or continued employment;
• Sexual assault, stalking, sexual exploitation, dating violence, and retaliation.
• Offensive and unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature, including sexually graphic spoken comments; offensive comments transmitted in writing, including by e-mail or another messaging system; offensive or suggestive images or graphics whether physically present in the workplace or accessed over the internet; or the possession of or use of sexually suggestive objects;
• Severe or pervasive unwelcome physical behavior of a sexual nature, including: the touching or grabbing of another’s body; the touching or display of one’s own body, and repeatedly or suggestively standing too close to or brushing up against a person;
• Repeatedly asking a person to socialize during off-duty hours when the person has said no or has indicated they are not interested;
• Sexual pranks, or repeated sexual teasing, jokes, or innuendo;
• Giving gifts or leaving objects that are sexually suggestive;
• Repeatedly making sexually suggestive gestures.

Computer Messaging and Information Systems: Staff are particularly cautioned that the use of e-mail, voice mail, or other electronic messaging systems, or the internet, may give rise to liability for harassment. Kroka staff or students may not generate, should not receive, and must not forward, any message or graphic that might be taken as offensive based on sex, gender, or other protected characteristic. This includes, for example, the generation or forwarding of offensive “humor” which contains offensive terms.

Procedures in Cases of Discrimination or Harassment: Any member of the Kroka community who believes that they have been subjected to (or witness to) discrimination or harassment of any kind can report the conduct to their supervisor or instructor. If they are uncomfortable reporting the conduct to their instructor or immediate supervisor (whether because the supervisor has engaged in or appears to have condoned the inappropriate conduct, or for any other reason whatsoever), they are encouraged to report the conduct to the next higher level of management above the immediate supervisor or, if the employee prefers, to the Program Director, Executive Director, or Chair of the Board of Trustees.

Kroka is committed to taking all reasonable steps to prevent discrimination and harassment, and will make every reasonable effort promptly and completely to address and correct any inappropriate conduct that may occur. However, Kroka cannot take prompt and effective remedial action unless each person assumes the responsibility of reporting any incident of discrimination or harassment immediately to an appropriate supervisory employee. Every report of discrimination or harassment will be investigated promptly and impartially, with every effort to maintain confidentiality. For guidance on how to conduct an investigation, click here. The complainant and the accused will be informed of the results of the investigation. If Kroka finds that its policy has been violated, it will take appropriate corrective and remedial action, up to and including discharge of offending officers, employees, or students, and/or similarly appropriate action towards offending vendors, contractors, or members.

Reporting Without Fear of Retaliation: No Kroka student or staff member will be retaliated against for reporting discrimination or harassment. This no-retaliation policy applies whether a good faith complaint of misconduct is well founded or ultimately determined to be unfounded. No Kroka officer, director, manager, supervisor or employee is authorized, or permitted, to retaliate or to take any adverse employment action whatsoever against anyone for reporting unlawful harassment, or for opposing any other discriminatory practice in the workplace.

This policy was approved on 16 October 2019 by the Kroka Board of Trustees

ADDITIONAL NOTE AS OF JUNE 2024:

Substantial work is currently being done to improve this policy, and to add necessary additional supporting materials.

You can view a draft of this work (which has not yet been approved by the board of Trustees) by clicking this link:

www.kroka.org/interpersonal-safety