Sexual Harassment Policy

Meridian University is committed to maintaining a working and learning environment that provides for fair and equitable treatment, including freedom from sexual harassment. This policy covers anyone who engages in sexual harassment on school property or at school activities.

Sexual harassment is defined as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal and/or physical conduct of a sexual nature, when:

• Submission to the conduct or communication is either explicitly or implicitly made a term or condition of an individual’s employment, work opportunity, education, or other benefit;
• Submission to or rejection of the conduct or communication is used as a factor for employment decisions or other school-related decisions affecting an individual; and/or
• Such conduct or communication has the purpose or effect of substantially interfering with an individual’s work or school performance or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work or school environment.

Sexual harassment can occur between staff to student, student to staff, student to student, staff to staff, female to male, male to female, female to female, and male to male. Administration will take prompt, equitable, and remedial action on reports and complaints that come to the attention of school personnel, either formally or informally. Allegations of criminal misconduct will be reported to the appropriate law enforcement agency.

Sexual harassment may include but is not limited to:

• Verbal harassment or abuse of a sexual nature
• Subtle pressure for sexual activity
• Inappropriate or unwelcome touching, patting, or pinching of a sexual nature
• Intentional brushing against a student’s or an employee’s body
• Demanding sexual favors accompanied by implied or overt threats concerning an individual’s employment or educational status
• Demanding sexual favors accompanied by implied or overt promises of preferential treatment with regard to an individual’s employment or educational status
• Use of sexually or gender-degrading words or comments, verbal or written
• Display in the school, on school grounds, or at school-sponsored events of sexually suggestive pictures
• Leering of a sexual nature
• Spreading of sexual rumors

Engaging in sexual harassment will result in appropriate discipline or other appropriate sanctions against offending students, staff, or contractors. Anyone else engaging in sexual harassment on school property or at school activities will have their access to school property and activities restricted or revoked, as appropriate.

The school shall respect the confidentiality of the complainant and the individual(s) against whom the complaint is filed as much as possible, consistent with the school’s legal obligations and the necessity to investigate the allegations and take disciplinary action when the conduct has occurred.

Retaliation is prohibited against any person who makes a complaint or is a witness under this policy and will result in appropriate disciplinary action against the person responsible for the retaliation. Individuals who knowingly report or corroborate false allegations will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action.

Each staff member is responsible to immediately report alleged discrimination and/or harassment to his/her supervisor or other appropriate school personnel. Staff members who fail to take prompt action to report allegations or violation(s) of this policy may be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination.

HARASSMENT, INTIMIDATION, BULLYING, AND DISCRIMINATION Policy

Meridian University is committed to maintaining a working and learning environment that provides for fair and equitable treatment, including freedom from bullying, harassment, intimidation, and discrimination of any kind. This policy includes anyone who engages in such behavior on school property, at school activities, or an electronic act through the use of cell phones, computers, personal communication devices, or other electronic gaming devices.

Harassment, intimidation, bullying, and discrimination may take many forms, including verbal aggression and name calling, physical aggression, relational aggression, as well as graphic and written statements, which may include use of cell phones, computers, or gaming systems, and other conduct that may be physically threatening, harmful, or humiliating. Harassment, intimidation, bullying, and discrimination include intent to harm, may be directed at a specific target, and typically involve repeated incidents. Harassment, intimidation, bullying, and discrimination create a hostile environment and will not be tolerated in Meridian University.

Such conduct or communication has the purpose or effect of substantially interfering with an individual’s work or school performance and creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work or school environment. Harassment, intimidation, bullying and discrimination can interfere and limit a person’s ability to participate in or benefit from the services, activities, or opportunities offered by Meridian University. Administration will take prompt, equitable, and remedial action on all reports and complaints that come to the attention of school personnel, either formally or informally. Allegations of criminal misconduct will be reported to the appropriate law enforcement agency.

Engaging in harassment, intimidation, bullying or discrimination will result in appropriate discipline or other appropriate sanctions against offending students, staff, or contractors. Anyone engaging in these behaviors on school property or at school activities will have their access to school property and activities restricted or revoked, as appropriate.

The school shall respect the confidentiality of the complainant and the individual(s) against whom the complaint is filed as much as possible, consistent with the school’s legal obligations, state laws and policies, and the necessity to investigate the allegations and take disciplinary and/or restorative action to resolve the problem.

Retaliation is prohibited against any person who makes a complaint or who is a witness under this policy and will result in appropriate disciplinary action against the person responsible for the retaliation. Individuals who knowingly report or corroborate false allegations will be subject to appropriate disciplinary and /or restorative action. Each staff member is responsible for immediately reporting alleged harassment, intimidation, bullying or discrimination to his/her supervisor or other appropriate school personnel. Staff members who fail to take prompt action to report allegations or violation(s) of this policy may be subject to disciplinary and/or restorative action up to and including termination.

For a list of state anti-bullying laws and policies please visit www.stopbullying.gov.