Discrimination or Harassment

 

Policy Number:

PERS_0011

 

Policy Statement:

The Board is committed to providing a positive and productive working and learning environment, free from discrimination, including harassment on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, height, weight, marital status, sexual orientation, genetic information or other non-merit reasons or handicap. Complaints will be promptly investigated and resolved. Any act of retaliation against any person who has filed a complaint, testified, assisted or participated in an investigation of a harassment complaint is prohibited. Additional information can be found in the TITLE IX – NON-DISCRIMINATION/ANTI-HARASSMENT Policy

Procedures:

 The college requires that all incidents of harassment or discrimination be immediately reported. If you believe that you are being subjected to any form of harassment or discrimination or if you witness any harassment or discrimination please notify your supervisor or the Human Resources Office immediately. If your supervisor is the person who is responsible for the harassment, or if you have reported harassment to your supervisor and no action was taken, then please report such conduct or situations to the Human Resources Director. Initiation of a complaint in good faith will not adversely affect the job security or status of any employee. The following complaint procedure will be followed in order to address a complaint regarding harassment, discrimination, or retaliation. A person who feels harassed, discriminated or retaliated against may initiate the complaint process by reporting the incident to their supervisor or the Human Resources Director. If a supervisor becomes aware that harassment or discrimination is occurring, either from personal observation or as a result of an employee coming forward, the supervisor is required to report the incident immediately to the Human Resources Director. Upon receipt of a complaint, the Human Resources Director will initiate the investigation to determine whether there is a reasonable basis for believing that the alleged violation occurred. During the investigation, the Human Resources Director will interview the complainant, the respondent, and any witnesses, to determine whether the conduct occurred. To the fullest extent possible, confidentiality will be maintained throughout the investigation of a complaint. The desire for confidentiality must be balanced with the college’s obligation to conduct a thorough investigation, to take appropriate corrective action, and to provide due process to the accused. The Human Resources Director will conclude the investigation and submit a report of his or her findings to the President. If it is determined that harassment or discrimination in violation of the college’s policy has occurred, the Human Resources Director will recommend to the President, that appropriate disciplinary action to be taken. The appropriate action will depend on the following factors: (i) The severity, frequency and pervasiveness of the conduct; (ii) Prior complaints made by the complainant; (iii) Prior complaints made against the respondent; (iv) The quality of the evidence (first-hand knowledge, credible corroboration etc.). If the investigation is inconclusive or it is determined that there has been no harassment or discrimination in violation of this policy, but some potentially problematic conduct is revealed, preventative action may be taken. The Human Resources Director will meet with the complainant and the respondent separately, to notify them of the findings of the investigation. As a result of this meeting, the complainant and the respondent may submit statements to the Human Resources Director challenging the factual basis of the findings. Any such statement must be submitted no later than five (5) working days after the meeting with the Human Resources Director in which the findings of the investigation are discussed. The Human Resources Director will review any statements submitted by the complainant or respondent, and prepare a recommendation of action to be taken, if any. The Human Resources Director will then submit a written recommendation to the President. The President’s decision will then be documented and the complainant and respondent will be informed of the action set forth by the President. False or malicious complaints may result in corrective or disciplinary action against the complainant. Any person who retaliates against a person reporting a complaint of harassment or discrimination is subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment. Nothing in this policy shall prevent the complainant or the respondent from pursuing formal legal remedies or resolution through state or federal agencies or the courts.

Policy History:

June 29, 2026: Revised to include policy number

March 3, 2025: Revised for Format Accessibility

October 29, 2016: Reviewed

November 25, 2013: Reviewed

August 1, 2013: Approved