Policy 5:20

Personnel

Sexual Harassment

The School District shall provide employees an employment environment free of unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct, or communications constituting sexual harassment as defined and other prohibited by State and federal law.

District employees shall not make unwelcome sexual advances or request sexual favors or engage in any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature when (1) submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual’s employment; (2) submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment decisions affecting such individual; or (3) such conduct has the purpose or effect of substantially interfering with an individual’s work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment.  Sexual harassment prohibited by this policy includes verbal or physical contact.  The terms intimidating, hostile, or offensive include, but are not limited to, conduct which has the effect of humiliation, embarrassment or discomfort.  Sexual harassment will be evaluated in light of the circumstances.

A violation of this policy may result in discipline, up to and including discharge.  Any person making a knowingly false accusation regarding sexual harassment will likewise be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including discharge.

Aggrieved persons, who feel comfortable doing so, should directly inform the person engaging in sexual harassing conduct that such conduct or communication is offensive and must stop.

Employees should report claims of sexual harassment to the Nondiscrimination Coordinator and/or use the Uniform Grievance Procedure, Board Policy 2:260.  Employees may choose to report a person of the employee’s same sex.  Initiating a complaint of sexual harassment shall not adversely affect the complaint’s employment, compensation, or work assignments.  Such a complaint should be reduced to writing, identifying as clearly as possible the alleged harasser, and date, time and place of each act of harassment, the identity of any witnesses to each act of harassment and the relief sought.  The complaint must be signed by the person complaining of the actions.

The District shall promptly investigate the allegations and advise the complaining party in writing of the outcome of the investigation, including any disciplinary consequences.  To the extent possible, the District shall maintain the confidentiality of all persons who give evidence in the investigative process.  Retaliation against a person who in good faith complains or provides evidence under this policy is strictly prohibited.

The Board reserves the right to refer allegations of unlawful conduct to appropriate law enforcement agencies.  The filing of a criminal complaint or the conduct of a criminal investigation shall in no way affect the Board’s right to investigate allegations of sexual harassment.

There are no express time limits for initiating complaints and grievances under this policy; however, every effort should be made to file such complaints as soon as possible, while facts are known and potential witnesses are available.

Whom to Contact with a Report or Complaint

The Board encourages any employee who believes he or she is the victim of sexual harassment to notify:

Administrator of Human Resources
615 Locust Road
Wilmette, IL 60091
847-256-2450

The Superintendent shall also use reasonable measures to inform staff members and applicants of this policy, which shall include reprinting this policy in the appropriate handbooks.

Adopted: June 8, 1998