Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy

Policy Application

The Policy applies to all career college adult learners of Montessori Teachers College.  

The Scope

The Policy applies to complaints of sexual violence on Montessori Teachers College campus or at one of our events and involve our adult learners. 

Purpose and Intent 

All of Montessori Teachers College adult learners have a right to study and work in an environment free of sexual violence.

This document sets out our policy on sexual violence, defines the prohibited behaviours, and outlines our investigative processes for sexual violence. 

Policy Objectives

Montessori Teachers College is committed to providing our adult learners with an educational environment free from sexual violence and treating those individuals who report incidents of sexual violence with dignity and respect. 

To that end Montessori Teachers College will provide a copy of the policy to our adult learners, and educate them together with our career college management, employees and contractors about this Policy and how to identify situations that involve, or could progress into sexual violence against our adult learners and how to reduce it. 

Where a complaint has been made, under this Policy, of sexual violence Montessori Teachers College will take all reasonable steps to investigate it, including as follows:

1. providing on-campus investigation procedures to students for sexual violence complaints;
2. responding promptly to any complaint and providing reasonable updates to the complainant and the respondent about the status of the investigation;
3. assisting adult learners who have experienced sexual violence in obtaining counselling and medical care;
4. providing adult learners who have experienced sexual violence with appropriate academic and other accommodation; and
5. providing adult learners who have experienced sexual violence with information about reporting options as set out in Appendix I.

Definition of Sexual Violence

This Policy prohibits sexual violence which means any sexual act of act targeting a person’s sexuality, gender identity or gender expression whether the act is physical or psychological in nature, that is committed, threatened or attempted against a person without the person’s consent, and includes sexual assault, 

Reporting and Responding to Sexual Violence 

Adult learners, faculty and staff of Montessori Teachers College will take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual violence involving our adult learners on our career college campus or events by reporting immediately to the Montessori Teachers College Board of Directors if our adult learners have been subject to, or they have witnessed or have knowledge of sexual violence involving our adult learners, or have reason to believe that sexual violence has occurred or may occur which involves our adult learners. 

Subject to paragraph 7 below, to the extent it is possible, Montessori Teachers College Board of Directors will attempt to keep all information disclosed confidential except in those circumstances it believes an individual is at imminent risk of self-harm, or of harming another, or there are reasonable grounds to believe that others on our campus or the broader community are at risk. 

Montessori Teachers College recognizes the right of the complainant to determine how her or his complaint will be dealt. With.  However, in certain circumstances, Montessori Teachers College may be required by law or its internal policies to initiate an internal investigation and/or inform police without the complainant’s consent, if it believes the safety of members or its campus or the broader community is at risk. 

A complainant seeking accommodation should contact Montessori Teachers College Board of Directors. 

Investigating Reports of Sexual Violence 

A complaint of sexual violence may be filed under this Policy, by any adult learner of our career college, to  the Board of Directors, in writing.

Upon a complaint of alleged sexual violence being made the Board of Directors will initiate an investigation, including as follows:

1. determining whether the incident should be referred immediately to police;
2. determining what interim measures, if any, need to be taken during the investigation;
3. meeting with the complainant to determine the date and time of the incident, the persons involved, the names of any person who witnessed the incident and a complete description of what occurred;
4. interviewing the complainant, any person involved in the incident and any identified witnesses;
5. interviewing any other person who may have knowledge of incidents related to the complaint or any other similar incidents;
6. informing the respondent of the complaint, providing details of the allegations and giving the respondent an opportunity to respond to those allegations;
7. providing reasonable updates to the complainant and the respondent about the status of the investigation; and
8. determining what disciplinary action, if any, should be taken.

Disciplinary Measures 

If it is determined by Montessori Teachers College that an adult learner of our career college has been involved in sexual violence, immediate disciplinary or corrective action will be taken up to and including termination of employment of instructors or staff or expulsion of an adult learner.   

In cases where criminal proceedings are initiated, Montessori Teachers College will assist police agencies, lawyers, insurance companies, and courts to the fullest extent.

Where criminal and/or civil proceedings are commenced in respect of allegations of sexual violence or sexual harassment, Montessori Teachers College may conduct its own independent investigation and make its own determination in accordance with its own policies and procedures. 

Making False Statements

It is a violation of this Policy for anyone to knowingly make a false complaint of sexual violence or to provide false information about a complaint. Individuals who violate this Policy are subject to disciplinary and/or corrective action, up to and including termination of employment of instructors or staff or expulsion of an adult learner.

Reprisal

It is a violation of this Policy to retaliate or threaten to retaliate against a complainant who has brought forward a complaint of sexual violence, provided information related to a complaint, or otherwise been involved in the complaint investigation process.  

Review

This policy will be reviewed 3 years after it is first implemented.