Revision 1.0. Ratified 05/29/2018. PDF
The Winding Path Initiative strives to create and maintain an environment in which people are treated with dignity, decency, and respect. WPI has zero tolerance for harassment of any kind, including but not limited to sexual harassment and harassment over electronic media, and will take appropriate and timely action in response to investigation requests or knowledge of violations of this policy.
The following behaviors are unacceptable and therefore prohibited.
- Verbal Harassment, including comments that criticize or attack individuals based upon age, race, religion, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, political beliefs, nationality, socioeconomic status, or any other protected class
- The use of hate words and hate speech
- Physical or verbal behavior that a reasonable person would view as abusive
- Repeated and unwanted contact after a member sets a clear boundary
- Inappropriate physical contact
- Unwelcome sexual or romantic attention, either verbal or physical
- Non-consensual sexual acts
Any officer who has knowledge of such behavior and takes no action to end it and/or report the conduct to the Board of Directors or their Supervising Officer is also subject to Disciplinary Action, up to and including termination of position and/or termination of membership.
Retaliatory Actions, such as investigation requests submitted in retribution of a harassment claim or to force a member’s silence who has been harassed, will be subject to Disciplinary Action, up to and including expulsion from the organization.
Fair Notice
Everyone should make an effort to inform other members when they are uncomfortable with conversations, topics, or advances. This helps keep open avenues of communication and makes our community safer. If a member feels unsafe or uncomfortable expressing their concerns directly, they may ask an officer to intervene.
If the conversations, topics, or advances persist after this notice has been given, the person responsible should be reported immediately.
If something is so inappropriate that a reasonable person would deem it inappropriate, such as but not limited to inappropriate physical contact, that conduct will be addressed regardless.
Procedure
We encourage members to report harassment before it becomes pervasive or severe.
At Convention Events, members should report concerns or allegations to a convention staff member they feel comfortable with. If the problem requires immediate action, the staff member will contact the appropriate event staff to handle on site issues.
At a Chapter Event, members should report concerns to the Chapter Owner, or their designated staff. If the problem requires immediate action, the staff have the ability and the authority to handle the issue on-site. If it is something which does not require an immediate action, that Chapter Owner will contact the reporting member within 72 hours of the event to commence a mediation or an investigation per the investigative system (to be published shortly), depending on the type of concern.
Between WPI Events, members should report concerns to their respective Chapter Owner. If both members are from the same Chapter, the Chapter Owner will handle these concerns. If members are from different chapters, then the Chapter Owner will push the matter up to the Club Manager within 48 hours. If the Chapter Owner is the source of a member’s discomfort, they should contact the Club Manager directly. Members may also contact the Member Ombudsman with their concerns, as the Ombudsman may be able to offer advice or suggestions on the matter, as well as assist in contacting and informing the Board.
If a member believes that someone has committed a criminal act, they should immediately inform the appropriate authorities.
Confidentiality
When members initiating a harassment investigation wish to remain anonymous, WPI will make the utmost effort to keep their information confidential. Be advised that sometimes, despite best efforts, the accused party will be able to ascertain the identity of the individuals involved based on the factual allegations. Steps will be taken to minimize this risk, but it is impossible to completely mitigate.
