SkillsUSA Massachusetts, Inc. Harrassment, Sexual Harassment, Bullying, Intimidation and Humiliation Policy 2024–2025 SkillsUSA Massachusetts Advisors’ Handbook Chapter 2: SkillsUSA Massachusetts Administration • 30 SkillsUSA Massachusetts, Inc. Harrassment, Sexual Harassment, Bullying, Intimidation and Humiliation Policy Every SkillsUSA Massachusetts member has the right to: travel to and from conferences and events on buses; partic- ipate in conferences and competitions; make friendships; express individuality; and enjoy a sense of belonging; leave past mistakes behind and achieve greater success and confi- dence through involvement. Members have the right to do all these things in safety, free from harassment, sexual harassment, bullying, intimida- tion or humiliation. No student, Advisor, staff member or volunteer has the right to interfere with another student’s guaranteed rights. Skill- sUSA Massachusetts will not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, bullying, intimidation or humiliation. Behaviors that interfere with the right of others include, but are not limited to: unwelcome words or behavior of a sexual nature (looks, touches, comments, gestures, signs, pictures, etc.): physical or verbal intimidation (threats, fighting, forcing another to do or say something they don’t wish to do or say, cornering someone); name-calling, rumors, gossip, cyber- bullying (using technology or electronic communication to spread information designed to hurt or embarrass another person); physical or verbal assaults (serious fight with injury, violent words, cheering an attack); ganging-up on, hazing, excluding, isolating (group actions against another student, “outnumbering”); racial, ethnic and sexual insults (slurs that insult/demean others for race, nationality, sex); contribu- tion to a “hostile environment” (making class, shop, gym, bus uncomfortable for others). It is never an acceptable excuse to say, “I was only joking,” or “I didn’t mean it,” or “I wasn’t talking to him/her,” or “I was talking about somebody else.” You do not have the right to say or do things that are offensive to others who can see or hear you. When you do this, you are contributing to a hostile environment. What one person sees as a joke; another person may see as harassment. It doesn’t matter whether you intend to hurt or harass someone with these behaviors or not. It only matters how you make the other person feel. If they feel upset, hurt, harassed, or humiliated by your words or actions, then you’re responsible. What can happen if you make someone feel this way? They may stop participating and may decide to leave SkillsUSA Massachusetts for good. This deprives a person of their right to participate. The law protects this right, and a perpetrator could face legal charges outside of SkillsUSA. DEFINITIONS: 1. HARASSMENT/SEXUAL HARASSMENT Any form of harassment, student to student, adult to student, student to adult, will not be tolerated. Every member of the SkillsUSA community has the right to work and learn in a safe and secure environment, free from harassment and bullying of any kind. Harassment means any threatening, insulting, or dehuman- izing gesture, use of data or computer software, or written, verbal or physical conduct that is derogatory to a person and designed to demean, intimidate, or have the effect of substantially interfering with an individual’s SkillsUSA/ work performance. In addition to organization rules, there are state and federal laws, which forbid harassment. By law, the victim defines sexual harassment. What one person may consider acceptable behavior may be viewed as sexual harassment by another person. If you feel harassed, you should report this to a Advisor, a counselor, the nurse, or an administrator immediately. Action will be taken to correct the situation promptly with all respect for the confi- dentiality of the persons involved. Every complaint of harassment will result in an investiga- tion of the circumstances and an interview of the offending person. Harassing behavior will be stopped. Harassing persons will be warned that there can be no discussion of the incident and no retaliation against a student who makes a complaint. Retaliation against a person who reports harassment, provides information during an investigation of harassment, or witnesses or has reliable information about harassment is absolutely prohibited. Harassing behavior will result in, but will not be limited to, disciplinary consequences that could include counseling, loss of SkillsUSA privileges, suspension, or expulsion from involvement, and/or notification of the police. 2. BULLYING Bullying is a form of harassment. “Bullying” is defined as the repeated use by one or more Members of a written, verbal or electronic expression or a physical act or gesture or any combination thereof, directed at a victim that: (i) causes physical or emotional harm to the victim or damage to the victim’s property; (ii) places the victim in reasonable fear of harm or of damage to his/her property; (iii) creates a hostile environment at SkillsUSA for the victim; (iv) infringes on the rights of the victim at SkillsUSA; or (v) materially and substantially disrupts the education process or the orderly operation of a SkillsUSA. It includes direct behaviors like taunting, stealing, threatening, and unwanted physical contact. Bullying also includes indirect behaviors like delib- erate exclusion, lying about someone and spreading rumors. Members are notified that direct and indirect bullying behaviors will result in disciplinary consequences. Bullying behaviors will result in, but will not be limited to, disci- plinary consequences that could include, loss of SkillsUSA privileges, suspension or expulsion from involvement, and/ or notification of the police.
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