Harassment Policy

Geek Partnership Society prohibits harassment, including sexual harassment, of any kind, and will take appropriate and immediate action in response to complaints or knowledge of violations of this policy. For purposes of this policy, harassment is any verbal or physical conduct designed to threaten, intimidate or coerce a volunteer, staff or any person working for or on behalf of GPS. Verbal taunting (including racial and ethnic slurs) that, in the recipient’s opinion, impairs his or her ability to perform his or her job is included in the definition of harassment. As always, remember “Costumes are not consent” and Wheaton’s Law* “Don’t be a dick.”  applies.

The following examples of harassment are intended to be guidelines and are not exclusive when determining whether there has been a violation of this policy:

Harassment

This includes but is not limited to comments that are offensive or unwelcome regarding a person’s nationality, origin, race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, body, disability or appearance, including epithets, slurs, and negative stereotyping. (make match)

Nonverbal harassment includes but is not limited to the distribution, display or discussion of any written or graphic material that ridicules, denigrates, insults, belittles, or shows hostility, aversion, or disrespect toward an individual or group because of national origin, race, color, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, pregnancy, appearance, disability, sexual identity, marital, or other protected status.(make match)

Physical harassment includes but is not limited to unwelcome, unwanted physical contact, including touching, tickling, pinching, and patting.

Courteous, mutually respectful, pleasant, non-coercive interactions between volunteers, which are appropriate in our community and acceptable to and welcomed by both parties, are not considered to be harassment, including sexual harassment.

Sexual harassment

Sexual harassment may take different forms. The following examples of sexual harassment are intended to be guidelines and are not exclusive when determining whether there has been a violation of this policy:

Verbal sexual harassment includes innuendoes, suggestive comments, jokes of a sexual nature, sexual propositions, lewd remarks and threats; requests for any type of sexual favor (this includes repeated, unwelcome requests for dates); and verbal abuse or “kidding” that is oriented toward a prohibitive form of harassment, including that which is sexual in nature and unwelcome.

Nonverbal sexual harassment includes the unwelcome individual distribution, display, or discussion of any written or graphic material, including calendars, posters and cartoons that are sexually suggestive or show hostility toward an individual or group because of sex; suggestive or insulting sounds; leering; staring; whistling; obscene gestures; content in letters and notes, facsimiles, e-mail, photos, text messages, tweets, and Internet postings; or other form of communication that is sexual in nature.

Physical sexual harassment includes unwelcome, unwanted physical contact, including but not limited to touching, tickling, pinching, patting, brushing up against, hugging, cornering, kissing, and fondling, and forced sexual intercourse or assault.

Courteous, mutually respectful, pleasant, non-coercive interactions between volunteers, which are appropriate in the community and acceptable to and welcomed by both parties are not considered to be harassment, including sexual harassment.

Consequences

No hardship, loss, benefit, or penalty may be imposed on a volunteer or member in response to:

  1. Filing or responding to a bona fide complaint of discrimination or harassment.
  2. Appearing as a witness in the investigation of a complaint.
  3. Serving as an investigator of a complaint.

Retaliation or attempted retaliation in response to lodging a complaint or invoking the complaint process is a violation of this policy. Any person who is found to have violated this aspect of the policy will be subject to sanctions up to and including removal from the organization.

Communication chart

We recommend this path to ensure any concerns you have receive complete documentation from those closest to the situation. We also recommend that you go straight to the Board of Directors if your concerns involve key staff close to the situation or if your sense of safety is threatened.  Please contact the police directly as needed.

    1. Report your concerns to the club head, event host, or program chair as close to the time of its happening as you feel comfortable. Please speak to these key staff directly if you feel comfortable doing so, or you may email them. Here is a list of contacts if you do not already have this information. These staff members will attempt to resolve any issues at this level but are empowered to escalate the report to the Board of Directors as needed.
    2. Report your concerns to the Board of Directors using directors @ geekpartnership.org. After this initial contact, a director will be assigned to work with you. You will be given the full contact information for this person so you can communicate in whatever manner is most comfortable to you.

Other contacts you may reach out to for help:

Associated policies and laws

        • Code of Conduct Policy
        • Confidentiality Policy
        • Conflict of Interest Policy
        • Minnesota Statute 10A.07, Conflicts of Interest

Policy history

Next scheduled review date: March, 2021

Date approved: January, 2017