Xavier Mission has a long tradition of providing an environment in which all involved feel safe and welcome. It is our intent to ensure a climate of understanding, cooperation and mutual respect. Consistent with those values, Xavier Mission is committed to providing surroundings that are free of harassment and discrimination. To be successful in this effort it is incumbent upon all employees, applicants, volunteers, interns, Board members, donors, guests, clients, consultants, and vendors not to exhibit or tolerate behavior that constitutes harassment or discrimination.

Discrimination

Xavier Mission prohibits discriminatory actions against, and treatment of, its employees, applicants, volunteers, interns, Board members, donors, guests, clients, consultants, and vendors based on actual or perceived race, color, national origin, alienage, citizenship status, religion or creed, gender (including gender identity—which refers to a person’s actual or perceived sex, and includes self‐image, appearance, behavior or expression, whether or not different from that traditionally associated with the legal sex assigned to the person at birth), disability, age (18 and over), military status, prior record of arrest or conviction, marital status, partnership status, genetic information or predisposing genetic characteristic, sexual orientation, status as a victim or witness of domestic violence, sex offenses or stalking, and unemployment status. Harassment and/or retaliation against a person who opposes or complains about prohibited conduct or participates in any way in the complaint, investigation, or reasonable accommodation processes are also prohibited.

Sexual Harassment

Xavier Mission will not tolerate any form of sexual harassment against its employees, applicants, volunteers, interns, Board members, donors, guests, clients, consultants, and vendors. If you believe that you have been subjected to objectionable conduct, you should immediately insist that the alleged harasser stop the unwanted behavior, as well as report it to the Executive Director, or a Mission employee. However, if you are uncomfortable confronting the alleged harasser, or if the unwelcome behavior involves an employee, Board member, or volunteer to whom you directly or indirectly report or receive services from, you can also report the offense to the Xavier Mission Board Chair. No employees, applicants, volunteers, interns, Board members, donors, guests, clients, consultants, and vendors in this organization are exempt from this policy.

What is sexual harassment? Sexual harassment is a form of discrimination prohibited by federal, state, and city laws. The federal government has created guidelines that describe sexual harassment as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when submission to or rejection of this conduct explicitly or implicitly affects an individual’s employment, unreasonably interferes with an individual’s work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment.

What types of behavior violate our sexual harassment policy?

1. Verbal: Repeated sexual innuendoes, sexual epithets, derogatory slurs, sexually explicit jokes, obscene or sexually suggestive comments about a person’s body, offensive or unwelcome flirtations, unwanted sexual advances or propositions, threats, or suggestive or insulting sounds. Telling sexual jokes or making sexual comments that cause discomfort to an individual. Repeatedly asking an employee, applicant, volunteer, intern, Board member, donor, guest, client, consultant, or vendor for a date if the invites are unwelcome. Asking for or pressuring a person into granting sexual favors in exchange for a job benefit, or for benefits provided to guests or Mission community members, or threatening a person with negative employment or service decisions for rejecting sexual advances.
2. Visual/Non-verbal: Using office equipment, interoffice mail, the internet, e-mail, social media, cell phones, texts, voice-mail, or bulletin boards to send or display sexually suggestive messages, pictures, cartoons, posters or objects; leering or obscene gestures.
3. Physical: Unwanted physical contact including touching, interfering with an individual’s normal movement, or assault.

A full list of appropriate and inappropriate behaviors for each Xavier Mission program/event can be found at the end of this policy.

Is everyone entitled to be protected from sexual and gender-based harassment?
Anyone can be the victim of sexual harassment. You are protected from sexual harassment whether the harasser is an employee, applicant, volunteer, intern, Board member, donor, guest, client, consultant, or vendor of the Mission. You may complain about harassment no matter your role, whether you are an employee, applicant, volunteer, intern, Board member, donor, guest, client, consultant, or vendor, or if someone other than yourself is the target of the offensive conduct.

What if I didn’t mean to sexually harass anyone? Even if it is not your intent to harass others, your behavior may be unwelcome, offensive, intimidating, or hostile, and therefore potentially sexual harassment. Be aware of how others are reacting to your behavior and always treat others with courtesy and respect. You must not engage in any of the above-listed behaviors or any conduct that may be perceived by others as harassment.

Does sexual harassment always involve conduct that is sexual in nature?
Our Policy prohibits not only harassment of a sexual nature—involving sexual activity or language—but also harassment that involves vulgar language, abusive acts or language, hostility, physical aggression, intimidation, or unequal treatment that is related to a person’s gender.

Non-sexual Forms of Harassment

Our Policy prohibits any type of harassment based on any of the protected categories. Harassing behavior includes, but is not limited to: slurs or abusive language, denigrating jokes, display or circulation of derogatory written or graphic materials, abusive acts, hostility, physical aggression, intimidation, or other unequal treatment.

A full list of appropriate and inappropriate behaviors for each Xavier Mission program/event can be found at the end of this policy.

Complaint Procedure

Our complaint procedure is intended to be simple, safe, and swift. Persons who claim discrimination in violation of the policy may file a complaint of the alleged discriminatory or harassing incident with the Executive Director, or in the absence of the Executive Director, with an employee of Xavier Mission. In the event that you are not comfortable reporting a violation to the aforementioned individuals you can file your complaint with the Xavier Mission Board Chair.

Xavier Mission reserves the rights to immediately dismiss any employee(s) determined to be in violation of our policy and to immediately request the departure from any of its premises of any employees, applicants, volunteers, interns, Board members, donors, guests, clients, consultants, and vendors found to be in violation of its commitment to an environment free of harassment and discrimination.