At FC Durham Academy (FCD) there is a NO harassment policy in all programs. This policy involves contact and non-contact of all participants. FCD and its owners, employees, team personnel will take the appropriate steps to ensure we safeguard and protect the participants.
WHAT IS HARASSMENT?
Harassment is any behaviour or action, verbal, nonverbal or sexual that causes another individual or group to feel intimidated, offended, embarrassed and/or humiliated at any time. This is not acceptable towards any individual at FCD.
A few examples of Harassment:
- Unwanted physical contact including pinching, touching, patting etc.
- Degrading hazing
- Practical jokes that may be dangerous to a person’s safety and cause embarrassment and awkwardness
- Self Esteem threatening acts
- Jokes, innuendos or teasing regarding someone’s body, looks, race or sexual orientation etc.
MEMBERS DUTY TO REPORT
All FCD Members (owners, employees, team personnel, players, and parents/guardians) with reasonable grounds to suspect an individual is or may be suffering from harassment must immediately report this suspicion and the factual information on which it is base to the proper authorities. This authority could be Player Well-Being Officer, Team personnel, FCD Employee, Parent, Child and Family Services or the local police department.
HARASSMENT POLICY
FCD, as a Member of Ontario Soccer, is committed to adhering to the Ontario Soccer’s published Harassment Policy.
Section 1.0 – GENERAL of the Ontario Soccer policy is as follows:
- Ontario Soccer is committed to providing a sport and work environment in which all individuals are treated with respect and dignity. Each individual has the right to participate and work in an environment that promotes equal opportunities and prohibits discriminatory practices.
- Harassment is a form of discrimination. Harassment is prohibited by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and by Human Rights Legislation in every province and territory of Canada.
- Harassment is offensive, degrading and threatening. In its more extreme forms, harassment, in particular sexual harassment can be an offence under Canada’s Criminal Code.
- Whether the harasser is a director, supervisor, employee, coach, volunteer, parent or athlete, harassment is an attempt by one person to asset abusive, unwarranted power over another.
- Ontario Soccer is committed to providing an environment free of harassment on the basis of race, national or ethnic origin, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, family status or disability.
- This policy applies to all employees as well as to all directors, officers, volunteers, coaches, referees, administrators, athletes and members or registrants of Ontario Soccer.
- This policy applies to harassment that may occur during the course of all Ontario Soccer business, activities and events. It also applies to harassment between individuals associated with Ontario Soccer but outside Ontario Soccer business, activities and events when such harassment adversely affects relationships within Ontario Soccer’s work and sport environment.
- In keeping with this policy, Ontario Soccer encourages the reporting of all incidents of harassment regardless of who the harasser may be and is committed to a process that is widely published in the soccer community, available to all participants and easy to follow and implement.
- Notwithstanding this policy, any person who experiences harassment continues to have the right to seek assistance from the Provincial Human Rights Commission, even when steps are being taken under this policy. Note: The full Harassment Policy is available on request.
Every member and registrant of Ontario Soccer has a responsibility to play a part in ensuring that the Ontario Soccer sport environment is free from harassment. This means not engaging in, allowing, condoning or ignoring behavior contrary to this policy. In addition, any member or registrant of Ontario Soccer who believes that a fellow member or registrant has experienced or is experiencing harassment is encouraged to notify a Harassment Officer appointed under this policy.
A person who experiences harassment is encouraged to seek the advice of a Harassment Officer.