Harassment Policies

Those who become members of the student body, faculty, or staff of Corpus Christi College agree to accept the responsibilities following from the Mission Statement of the College, which includes "recognition of adherence to the teaching authority of the Church in matters of faith and morals." One of the cornerstones of this teaching is respect for individuals at all levels. Harassment in general, and sexual harassment in particular, promotes an atmosphere inimical to this respect. Believing that freedom of speech and action demands responsibility, the College is opposed to any form of harassment and is prepared to deal with it in the manner outlined below.

What is Harassment?

Harassment in general and sexual harassment in particular is any comment or conduct that is known to be, or should be reasonably known to be, unwanted and unwelcome. This may include, but is not limited to: remarks, jokes, innuendoes, taunting, sexually oriented conduct and requests, comments, gestures, or materials that are considered offensive, threatening, degrading or coercive thereby creating a hostile, intimidating or offensive work or study environment non-conducive to the accomplishment of the College's mission. Sexual harassment can be further defined as specifically including any unwanted and unwelcome sexual attention towards another person, which has an adverse effect on the emotional well-being, work or academic performance of the complainant.

Harassment may occur between people of the same or different sex and of the same or different status within the College community. Neither men nor women are immune from harassment by another person.

Third Party Harassment

Accusations about third party harassment incidents on campus alleged against those who are not members of the college community will be accepted with the understanding that the solution may only be that the College will take action to provide a more secure campus. The complainant may receive advice regarding available off-campus processes but must recognize that the likelihood of the College’s being able to enforce disciplinary action against a non-community member is very remote.

Examples of Harassment

Examples of harassment include, but are not limited to, the following:

  1. Verbal or physical abuse of an employee/student by an employee/student;

  2. Physical contact that makes one person feel uncomfortable;

  3. One person stalking another;

  4. A date ending in unwelcome sexual intimacy;

  5. Use of sexually suggestive language, especially when another person indicates that it is offensive;

  6. The promise of reward or threat of reprisal attached to sexual favours;

  7. Persistent teasing or leering causing embarrassment

The Process

  1. Consultation — The process begins with a discussion with the appropriate contact (Director of Student Services, VP Academic or alternative contact person) to determine if the complainant wishes to proceed with a complaint. The goal of consultation is to foster communication between the parties and to try to mediate a resolution satisfactory to both without an investigation. Disciplinary action is not a part of the consultation process.

  2. Complaint — The next stage involves completing the Harassment Incident forms. The complainant must be prepared to discuss frankly and disclose specific incident details to the investigation team. Fully documented written materials must be provided to allow for a complete understanding of the incident and any related issues, and for a full and fair investigation to take place. Anonymous complaints will not be accepted or investigated.

  3. Investigation — Once a complaint has been received, investigation involves engaging in the procedures established for students, staff, or faculty as outlined in the College’s Dispute Resolution policies. The complainant and respondent are required to cooperate fully in the investigation. CCC intends that the complaint process will be used solely for the purposes of College life. However, the College does reserve its right and option in serious situations to refer complaints of gross misconduct or abuse to the relevant off-campus authorities.

Important Notes

  1. Off-campus legal remedies are not excluded and may run in conjunction with the College’s informal or formal processes.

  2. While investigation materials are strictly confidential, they may be released if subpoenaed or required to be produced by court order in association with off-campus legal proceedings.

  3. Retaliation in any form is specifically prohibited and, if proven, will result in serious and immediate discipline.