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Sexual and Other Harassment in the Workplace

Cary Academy is committed to providing a work environment that is free of harassment based on sex or any other personal characteristic protected under federal or state law.  This policy is intended to describe the conduct that is prohibited at the School.  As you review this policy, please keep in mind that building a respectful and professional workplace is everyone’s responsibility. 

Sexual Harassment

Cary Academy prohibits unlawful sexual harassment.  Sexual harassment means sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and/or verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when: (1) submission to or rejection of such conduct is made, either explicitly or implicitly, a term or condition of employment or the basis for employment decisions; or (2) such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with work performance, or creating an intimidating, hostile, humiliating or sexually offensive work environment.

The legal definition of sexual harassment is broad and includes other sexually oriented conduct that is unwelcome and has the effect, whether intended or not, of creating a workplace that is hostile, offensive, intimidating or humiliating.  While it is not possible to list all the circumstances that may constitute sexual harassment, the following are some examples of conduct which, if unwelcome, may constitute sexual harassment, depending on the circumstances, including the severity of the conduct and its pervasiveness: 

  • sexual advances, whether they involve physical touching or not
  • subtle pressure for sexual activity or for a relationship that takes on a sexual or romantic coloring (thereby exceeding the limits of a healthy relationship)
  • any demeaning sexual propositions
  • sexually explicit or suggestive remarks about a person’s physical attributes, clothing or behavior or inappropriate personal questions
  • sexually stereotyped or sexually charged insults, epithets, jokes, humor, graffiti, written or oral references to sexual conduct, discussion of one’s sex life or comments about an individual’s sexual prowess, deficiencies or activity
  • display of objects, pictures or cartoons of a sexual nature
  • leering, whistling, physical touching of or ogling at another’s body
  • continuing to ask another employee to socialize after the employee has said no.

Other Harassment

Cary Academy also prohibits other forms of unlawful harassment.  For purposes of this policy, other harassment is defined as physical or verbal conduct that denigrates or shows hostility or aversion toward an individual because of the individual’s pregnancy, gender, race, color, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, physical or mental disability, age, veteran status, military service, application for military service, genetic information, possession of sickle cell or hemoglobin C traits, smoking, AIDs or HIV, wage garnishment status, or any other classification protected by applicable law, and that:

  • has the purpose or effect of creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment; or
  • has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance.

Some examples of such harassment are using epithets or slurs or making jokes or pranks that focus on protected characteristic and circulating or displaying written or graphic material that denigrates or shows hostility or aversion toward a person or group because of a protected characteristic.

Reporting Harassment and/or Retaliation

If you experience or witness sexual or other harassment in the workplace, you should immediately report it to any one of the following individuals:

  • Your supervisor (unless the complaint is about your supervisor) 
  • Head of School
  • A Division Head
  • Chief Financial Officer
  • Human Resources

Employees should not allow an inappropriate situation to continue by not reporting it.  Any individual listed above who receives a report of sexual or other harassment must immediately notify the Head of School or in his/her absence, the Chief Financial Officer or Human Resources. 

Cary Academy strictly prohibits retaliation against any employee in connection with any good-faith report of harassment.  If an employee believes that he or she has been retaliated against in connection with any good-faith report of harassment, the employee should immediately report such conduct to any of the individuals noted above.  Any individual listed above who receives a report of retaliation is required to immediately report it to the Head of School or in his/her absence, the Chief Financial Officer or Human Resources. 

It is crucial for you to report sexual or other harassment or retaliation to any of the individuals noted above so that Cary Academy can take appropriate actions. 

Investigation

Upon receipt of a complaint of harassment, Cary Academy will promptly conduct a thorough investigation in such a way as to maintain confidentiality to the extent practicable under the circumstances.  All employees are expected to cooperate with investigations and only share information regarding an investigation with others on a need to know basis.  Any employee of the School who is found to have harassed or retaliated against another employee may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment. 

Cary Academy will also take appropriate corrective action to address harassment by non-employees.

Cary Academy also recognizes that false accusations, especially of sexual harassment, may have serious effects on innocent persons.  Employees found to have made false accusations of sexual or other harassment may also be subject to appropriate disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment. 

State and Federal Agencies

The following is a list of state and federal agencies that enforce employment discrimination laws:

State Agency

North Carolina Department of Labor
Employment Discrimination Bureau
1101 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1101
Phone:   (919) 807-2796 or 1 (800) NC-LABOR

Federal Agency

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
District Office
U.S. EEOC
129 West Trade Street
Suite 400
Charlotte, NC 28202 
Phone: (800) 669-4000 
Fax: (704) 954-6410 or (704) 344-6734 
TTY: (800) 669-6820

Area Office

U.S. EEOC
434 Fayetteville Street
Suite 700
Raleigh, NC 27608-1701 
Phone: (800) 669-4000
Fax: (919) 856-4151 
TTY: (800) 669-6820

Local Office

U.S. EEOC
2303 W. Meadowview Road, Suite 201
Greensboro, NC 27407 
Phone: (800) 669-4000 
Fax: (336) 547-4032  TTY: (800) 669-6820

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