TANNEHILL

SEXUAL HARASSMENT

The policy of this school district forbids discrimination against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of sex.  The Tannehill  Board of Education will not tolerate sexual harassment by any of its employees.  This policy applies to non-employee volunteers whose work is subject to the control of school personnel.

General Prohibitions

   1.       Unwelcome Conduct of a Sexual Nature

             A.   Conduct of a sexual nature may include verbal or physical sexual advances, including subtle pres­sure for sexual activity; touching, pinching, patting, or brushing against; comments regarding physical or personal­ity characteristics of a sexual nature; and sexually-oriented "kidding" "teasing," double meanings, and jokes.

             B.   Verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature may constitute sexual harassment when the allegedly harassed employee has indicated, by his or her conduct, that it is unwelcome.

   2.       Sexual Harassment

              For the purpose of this policy, unwelcome sexual ad­vances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitute sexual harassment if:

             A.   Submission to the conduct is made either an explicit or implicit condition of employment;

             B.   Submission to or rejection of the conduct is used as a basis for an employment decision affecting the harassed employee; or

             C.   The conduct substantially interferes with an employee's work performance, or creates an inti­midating, hostile, or offensive work environment.

Specific Prohibitions

   1.       Administrators and Supervisors

             A.   It is sexual harassment for an administrator or supervisor to use his or her authority to solicit sexual favors or attention from subordinates when the subordinate's failure to submit will result in adverse treatment, or when the subordinate's acqui­escence will result in preferential treatment.

             B.   Administrators and supervisors who either engage in sexual harassment or tolerate such conduct by other employees shall be subject to sanctions, as described below.

   2.       Non-administrative and Non-supervisory Employees

              It is sexual harassment for a non-administrative and non-supervisory employee to subject another such employee to any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature.  Employees who engage in such conduct shall be subject to sanctions as described below.

SEXUAL HARASSMENT (Cont.)

Report, Investigation, and Sanctions

   1.       It is the express policy of the board of education to encourage victims of sexual harassment to come forward with such claims.  This may be done through the Employee Grievance policy.

             A.   Employees who feel that administrators or super­visors are conditioning promotions, increases in wages, continuation of employment, or other terms or conditions of employment upon sexual favors, are en­cour­aged to report these conditions to the appro­priate administrator.  If the employee's direct ad­minis­trator or supervisor is the alleged offending person, the report will be made to the next higher level of admini­stration or supervision, unless it is the superintendent who is the alleged offender.  In which case, the complaint shall be referred to the board president.

             B.   Employees are also urged to report any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature by supervisors or fellow employees if such conduct interferes with the indi­vidual's work performance or creates a hostile or offensive working environment.

             C.   Confidentiality will be maintained; however, absolute confidentiality cannot be guaranteed because of due process concerns that arise in sexual harassment investigations.  No reprisals or retaliation will be allowed to occur as a result of the good faith reporting of charges of sexual harassment.

   2.       In determining whether alleged conduct constitutes sexual harassment, the totality of the circumstances, the nature of the conduct, and the context in which the alleged conduct occurred will be investigated.  The superintendent has the responsibility of investigating and resolving complaints of sexual harassment.

   3.       Any employee found to have engaged in sexual harassment shall be subject to sanctions, including, but not limited to warning, suspension, or termination subject to applicable procedural and due process requirements.

REFERENCE:    Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

                                29 CFR §1604.1, et seq.

                                34 CFR Part 106

                                20 USC §§1681-1688

                                29 USC §794

                                42 USC §§2000d-2000d-7

                                42 USC §§2000e-2000e-17

                                42 USC §2000e-2