Harassment Policy and Procedures

Bias and Discriminatory Harassment Policies and Protocols

Scope

These policies apply to all Marietta College students and employees. Although they cannot be held to the same procedural guidelines, independent contractors, vendors and all guests on the College premises are also expected to comply with this policy. The College will take appropriate action if they fail to do so.

Statement of Beliefs

The educational process is a College-wide enterprise based on mutual understanding and respect, and a sense of shared responsibility of all its members. Marietta College is committed to providing faculty, staff, and students with a community and living environment where work and study are free of harassment, including discriminatory harassment. Therefore, Marietta College acknowledges its belief:

That discriminatory harassment and bias incidents are included under the heading of unprofessional conduct threatening the academic freedom of others;
That discriminatory harassment is illegal under federal and state law, is demeaning to all persons involved, impairs the academic mission of the College, and, therefore, will not be tolerated; and
That discriminatory harassment and bias incidents are a problem that requires distinct mechanisms to seek redress, as well as protection for the accused.

The College is an environment in which learning takes place and is, therefore, dedicated to ensuring that free discussion of the widest possible nature takes place. Consequently, harassment of any kind is most unwelcome because it tends to inhibit open inquiry and the free expression of ideas by those who are harassed. The College acknowledges that frank and open discussion of social, cultural, artistic, religious, scientific, and political issues may be disturbing for some individuals. In such instances, the principle of free exchange and inquiry takes precedence because it is fundamental to the educational enterprise. The expression of offensive ideas is not, in itself, harassment. Harassing behavior must be serious in its effect, directed at a specific individual or group, unwanted by those to whom it is directed, and usually repeated over time, although sufficiently severe incidents alone may constitute harassment.

The discriminatory harassment policy requires action, either informal or formal, as a means to protect and educate all members of the College community. The policy and procedures for addressing complaints of discriminatory harassment provide formal resolution for complaints involving students with the student conduct process. A person wishing to lodge a complaint of discriminatory harassment or report a bias incident or hate crime should follow the instructions provided in the Bias Incident Response Protocol, outlined below.