HARASSMENT
All members of the organization including volunteers, coaches, athletes, officials, staff and members of the board are to refrain from any behaviour that constitutes harassment, where harassment is defined as comment or conduct directed towards an individual or group, which is offensive, abusive, racist, sexist, degrading, or malicious.
Types of behaviour that constitute harassment include, but are not limited to:
Written or verbal abuse, threats, or outbursts
- The display of visual material which is offensive or which a reasonable person ought to know is offensive in the circumstances
- Unwelcome remarks, jokes, comments, innuendo, or taunts
Leering or other suggestive or obscene gestures
- Condescending or patronizing behaviour which is intended to undermine self-esteem, diminish performance or adversely affect working conditions
Practical jokes which cause awkwardness or embarrassment, endanger a person’s safety, or negatively affect performance
- Any form of hazing where hazing is defined as any potentially humiliating, degrading, abusive, or dangerous activity expected of a junior-ranking athlete by a more senior teammate, which does not contribute to either athlete’s positive development, but is required to be accepted as part of a team, regardless of the junior-ranking athlete’s willingness to participate. This includes, but is not limited to, any activity, no matter how traditional or seemingly benign, that sets apart or alienates any teammate based on class, number of years on the team, or athletic ability.
- Retaliation or threats of retaliation against an individual who reports harassment to Special Olympics Canada
Bullying
- Offensive or intimidating phone calls or emails
Displaying or circulating offensive pictures, photographs or materials in printed or electronic form
- Psychological abuse
- Discrimination
- Words or actions which are known or should reasonably be known to be offensive, embarrassing, humiliating, demeaning or intimidating
Behaviours such as those described above that are not directed towards a specific individual or group but have the same effect of creating a negative or hostile environment
Refrain from any behaviour that constitutes violence, where violence is defined as the exercise of physical force, that causes or could cause physical injury; an attempt to exercise physical force that could cause physical injury; or a statement or behaviour that it is reasonable to interpret as a threat to exercise physical force.
Types of behaviour that are applicable to this section include, but are not limited to:
- Verbal threats to attack
- Sending to or leaving threatening notes or emails
- Making threatening physical gestures
- Wielding a weapon
- Hitting, pinching or unwanted touching which is not accidental
- Throwing an object Blocking normal movement or physical interference, with or without the use of equipment
- Any attempt to engage in the type of conduct outlined above
Refrain from any behaviour that constitutes sexual harassment, where sexual harassment is defined as unwelcome sexual comments and sexual advances, requests for sexual favours, or conduct of a sexual nature.
Types of behaviour that constitute sexual harassment include, but are not limited to:
- Sexist jokes
- Sexual violence
- Display of sexually offensive material
- Sexually degrading words used to describe a person
- Inquiries or comments about a person’s sex life
- Unwelcome sexual flirtations, advances, or propositions
- Inappropriate sexual touching, advances, suggestions or requests
- Unwanted physical contact including, but not limited to, touching, petting, pinching, or kissing
- Unwelcome sexual flirtations, advances, requests, or invitations
- Physical or sexual assault
Any member of the organization who violates any of the above conditions will be subject to an immediate suspension as outlined in the SOO Disciplinary Procedure.