The best education takes place in a community where there is trust and respect so that everyone feels free to take risks. Students and teachers come to ASFG from many different countries, ethnic backgrounds, races, and religions. The school will not tolerate harassment by any member of the community: student, teacher, parent, or visitor on the premises or at events sponsored by the school.
Harassment is the creation of a hostile environment by speech or conduct. Not all unpleasant speech or conduct constitutes harassment. However, speech or conduct, which is either intended to or reasonably could be expected to
create an intimidating, hostile, or offensive educational environment and thereby interfere with the opportunities offered by the school, constitutes unacceptable harassment. Harassment may be subtle and ambiguous or direct and overt. It may arise between students, between a student and an adult, including visitors to the school, and between adults.
Whether or not harassment exists, depends on the circumstances. It is not, therefore, possible to give a compete list of conduct that constitutes unacceptable harassment. The following are examples of conduct prohibited by this policy whether the conduct is that of a student or an adult.
The prevention of harassment requires a thoughtful educational program. Each year, administrators and counselors will discuss this policy at meetings of students, teachers, and staff so that everyone will understand the intention of the policy, how to take action, and the possible consequences of violating the policy.
First consider telling the other person that the conduct is offensive and request that it stops. If it is difficult for the student or adult to speak directly to the person or if the offensive conduct does not stop after a request to cease, an individual may report it to any faculty member, who will take the complaint to the principal, counselor, or Director General, or may ask a parent or guardian to do so. A faculty member should report the conduct to the Director General. A prompt and thorough investigation will follow.
Reports of harassment will be treated confidentially as far as possible and will be reported to others within the school community only on a need-to-know basis. However, in almost every circumstance, the offending person will have to be informed to be able to gather the relevant facts. The school reserves the right to bring any matter to the attention of parents and guardians of the students involved.
All complaints regarding harassment will be investigated promptly. Nothing will be placed in a student's or an employee's file unless harassment is found and action is taken. In the case of sexual harassment, the "reasonable woman"* test will be applied to differentiate casual but unwanted comments or actions from harassment. If the complaint is determined to have merit after consideration of all relevant facts and circumstances, the school will take appropriate action. If expulsion or dismissal is deemed appropriate, the recommendation will go to the Board of Directors through the Director General following the usual procedure.
No member of the community should be afraid to make a complaint for fear of reprisal or getting another person in trouble. Retaliation or threats of retaliation against anyone who makes a complaint of harassment is itself a violation of this policy and will be considered cause for discipline. If harassment has taken place and the harasser has not left the school, there will be a follow-up to ensure that the behavior has ceased.
* “The “Reasonable Woman’s Test” “In 1991 two courts affirmed that a ‘reasonable woman’ test should be the objective standard in sexual harassment cases where the plaintiff is a woman (Shoop). That is, if a reasonable woman… would judge a working environment to be abusive, that may be sufficient for the court to rule in favor of a female plaintiff...” (http://www.ed.gov/databases/ERIC_Digests/ed347699.html)