Thank you for reviewing our Non-Discrimination and Anti Harassment Policy
Scope. This nondiscrimination and anti-harassment policy, with an established complaint procedure, applies to all employees, vendors, teachers, coaches, performers, students and other individuals working for or interacting with the company. The policy addresses alleged discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment and retaliation occurring among managers or supervisors, applicants, students, employees and third parties. It outlines the organization's objective in maintaining the policy and describes prohibited conduct in detail. The policy includes examples of conduct that will be considered a violation of the policy and its consequences. The policy describes the complaint process and emphasizes the importance of confidentiality for all responsible parties involved in the process.
Objectives. Sawubona Creativity Project is committed to fostering a work and educational environment in which all its community members are treated with respect and dignity. Everyone has the right to work, study and perform in a professional atmosphere that promotes equal employment opportunities and prohibits unlawful discriminatory practices, including harassment. Therefore, Sawubona Creativity Project expects its participants’ behaviors in all relationships in the office, school, and theater will be professional and free of bias, prejudice, and harassment. To this end, Sawubona Creativity Project maintains a policy to ensure that all its members can work, study, and perform in a safe and supportive environment, free from harassment, discrimination, sexual harassment, and retaliation. This policy means that no form of discriminatory or harassing conduct by or towards any employee, member, performer, faculty, student, volunteer, or other persons associated with Sawubona Creativity Project, whether at one of our multiple environments (rehearsal and performance spaces) or elsewhere, will be tolerated. Sawubona Creativity Project is committed to enforcing its policy on all levels of our organization, including upper management, our board, and community leaders. Any individual who practices discrimination or harassment will be subject to immediate progressive discipline, up to and including possible discharge from employment (or contract termination for its vendors) and the immediate removal from our community, Sawubona Creativity Project will make every reasonable effort to ensure that all concerned are familiar with these policies and are aware that any complaint of violation of such policies will be investigated and resolved appropriately as determined by Sawubona Creativity Project. Any party who has questions or concerns about these policies should talk with the Administrative Assistant John Deary or Executive Director Latanya Morgan. This policy should not, and may not, be used as a basis for excluding or separating individuals of a particular gender, sexual orientation, or any other protected class under applicable E.E.O laws or regulations, from participating in organization-related social activities or discussions. In other words, no one should make the mistake of practicing discrimination or exclusion to avoid allegations of harassment. The policies of Sawubona Creativity Project, as governed by applicable laws and/or regulations in this area prohibit discriminatory treatment based on sex or any other protected class characteristic, in terms, conditions, privileges, and perquisites of employment. The prohibitions against harassment, discrimination, and retaliation are intended to complement and further those policies, not to form an exception to them.
Artist Education and Performance. Sawubona Creativity Project is an artistic educational institution which educates and nurtures artists in the field of theatre arts including: comedic and dramatic improv, playwriting, acting and storytelling. Sawubona Creativity Project acknowledges that the creation of art requires the bold expression of an individual’s point of view or experience and/or the creation of fantastic or otherwise wholly fictitious narratives, devoid of truth. For this reason, Sawubona Creativity Project views the performance of improv and other forms of theatre art as the creative expression of those who create it and not necessarily representative of their real world opinions or values. While guidelines exist in our classes and on stage to protect our performers from unwanted touching or subject material considered triggering, complaints regarding content within improv or other theatrical scenes will be treated as different and separate from instances of alleged discrimination or harassment (as defined in this policy) occurring directly between our members in our offices, classes, or theater.
Equal Employment Opportunity. It is the policy of Sawubona Creativity Project to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, marital status, citizenship, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Sawubona Creativity Project prohibits any such discrimination or harassment. Furthermore, Sawubona Creativity Project extends this policy to include volunteer opportunities, such as performing in our improv shows, participating in our special events, serving on one of our board committees, or assisting with theater operations.
Retaliation. Sawubona Creativity Project encourages the reporting of all complaints of alleged discrimination or harassment. It is the policy of Sawubona Creativity Project to promptly and thoroughly investigate such complaints. Sawubona Creativity Project prohibits retaliation against any individual who reports discrimination or harassment or participates in an investigation of such complaints.
Sexual Harassment. Sexual harassment constitutes discrimination and is illegal under federal (e.g. Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act), state, and local laws. For the purposes of this policy, “sexual harassment” is defined, as in the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Guidelines, as ”unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when, for example: a) submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual’s employment, b) submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment decisions affecting such individual, or c) such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive working environment.” Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 recognizes two types of sexual harassment: a) quid pro quo and b) hostile work environment. Sexual harassment may include a range of subtle and not-so-subtle behaviors and may involve individuals of the same or different gender. Depending on the circumstances, these behaviors may include as examples unwanted sexual advances or requests for sexual favors; sexual jokes and innuendo; verbal abuse of a sexual nature; commentary about an individual’s body, sexual prowess or sexual deficiencies; leering, whistling or touching; insulting or obscene comments or gestures; display in the workplace of sexually suggestive objects or pictures; and other physical, verbal or visual conduct of a sexual nature. Sawubona Creativity Project also has a zero-tolerance policy against any acts of alleged violence initiated by members of the community against others, which would result in immediate expulsion of the responsible party.
Harassment. Harassment based on any other protected characteristic is also strictly prohibited. Under this policy, harassment is verbal, written or physical conduct that denigrates or shows hostility or aversion toward an individual because of their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, marital status, citizenship, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law, or that their relatives, friends or associates, and that: a) has the purpose or effect of creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive work, study or performance environment, b) has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s pursuit of work performance or educational goals, or c) otherwise adversely affects an individual’s employment, performance or educational opportunities. Harassing conduct includes epithets, slurs or negative stereotyping; threatening, intimidating or hostile acts; denigrating jokes; and written or graphic material that denigrates or shows hostility or aversion toward an individual or group that is placed on walls or elsewhere on the employer’s premises or circulated in the workplace, on company time or using company equipment by email, phone (including voice messages), text messages, social networking sites or other means.
Individuals and Conduct Covered. These policies apply to all applicants, employees, students, volunteers and performers at Sawubona Creativity Project whether related to conduct engaged in by fellow employees or by someone not directly connected to Sawubona Creativity Project (e.g., an outside vendor, consultant or customer). Conduct prohibited by these policies is unacceptable in the workplace, school or theater and in any company-related setting outside the workplace, such as during company trips, company meetings and company-related social events.
Instructors. As part of its mission to bring improv and theatre arts to the community, Sawubona Creativity Project seeks to create a learning environment open to experimentation that is supportive of students. The organization feels that romantic relationships between students and teachers not only do not coincide with those goals but can create an unhealthy environment for both parties and others in the class. For these reasons, Sawubona Creativity Project expects all its teachers to avoid romantic involvement with students they are directly instructing and expressly prohibits such relationships during the length of a class. Should a romantic relationship exist prior to the start of a class, teachers are expected and required to report it to the academic lead or similar reporting figure at Sawubona Creativity Project. Instructors are prohibited from teaching their romantic partners in an effort to create an environment that feels comfortable for all students.
Reporting an Incident of Harassment, Discrimination or Retaliation. Sawubona Creativity Project encourages reporting of all complaints of alleged discrimination, harassment or retaliation, regardless of the offender’s identity or position. Individuals who believe that they have been the victim of such conduct should discuss their concerns with the Administrative Assistant John Deary or Executive Director Latanya Morgan. You may also report any concerns via our anonymous feedback link on our website https://sawubonacreativityproject.org/ https://sawubonacreativityproject.org/anonymousfeedback
In addition, Sawubona Creativity Project recognizes that while it has taken steps to provide avenues by which complaints can be made, sometimes situations are best dealt with directly as they occur. For that reason, Sawubona Creativity Project seeks to empower and encourage all members of its community to directly address incidents as they occur, as community members see fit. If an instance of alleged discrimination, harassment or retaliation is dealt with in such a manor, Sawubona Creativity Project highly encourages the parties involved to report the incident to Sawubona Creativity Project personnel.
Complaint Procedure. Any Sawubona Creativity Project member who believes that they have been subjected to harassment of any kind has the responsibility to report the harassment as soon as possible to Sawubona Creativity Project personnel. If the member is uncomfortable reporting the alleged harassment in person they may submit it via Sawubona Creativity Project anonymous feedback link. Sawubona Creativity Project is committed to taking all reasonable steps to prevent harassment, and will make every reasonable effort to promptly and effectively address and correct any alleged harassment. However, Sawubona Creativity Project cannot take prompt and effective remedial action unless incidents are reported. For that reason, Sawubona Creativity Project encourages the reporting of all incidents to the appropriate responsible and/or supervisory figures as soon as possible. Sawubona Creativity Project recognizes that due to the nature of harassment and discrimination, that sometimes an incident or complaint may possibly not be reported for some delayed period of time after its occurrence. Still, a full investigation can be more effectively completed closer to the actual date of its occurrence. For this reason, Sawubona Creativity Project encourages reporting these incidents as soon as possible. Every report of harassment will be investigated promptly and impartially, with every effort to maintain confidentiality. The complainant and the accused will be informed of the results of the investigation, subject to the natural constraints of confidentiality and applicable legal obligations. If Sawubona Creativity Project finds that its policy has been violated, it will immediately take appropriate corrective and remedial action, most likely including the discharge of offending officers, employees or members similarly appropriate action towards offending vendors, contractors, or members and when necessary, the immediate and permanent removal of offending parties from our community. Retaliation against an individual for reporting harassment or discrimination or for participating in an investigation of a claim of harassment or discrimination is violation of this policy and, like harassment or discrimination will be subject to disciplinary action. Acts of retaliation should be reported immediately and will be promptly investigated and addressed. False and malicious complaints of harassment, discrimination or retaliation (as opposed to complaints that, even if erroneous, are made in good faith) may be the subject of appropriate disciplinary action.