Anti-Harassment Policy

Vancouver Young Professionals Rotaract (VYP) is committed to maintaining an environment that promotes safety, courtesy, dignity, and respect. All Members and individuals attending or participating in Rotary or Rotaract events or activities have the right to an environment free of harassment.

Harassment is broadly defined as any conduct, verbal or physical, that denigrates, insults or offends an individual or group of individuals based on any characteristic (age, race, colour, place of origin, ability, religion, socioeconomic status, culture, sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity).

Prohibited harassment includes, but is not limited to, the following behaviour:

  • Verbal conduct such as epithets, derogatory jokes or comments, slurs or unwanted sexual advances, invitations or comments;
  • Bullying, such as repeated, aggressive behaviour intended to hurt another individual physically, mentally, or emotionally;
  • Visual displays such as derogatory and/or sexually-explicit posters, photography, cartoons, drawings or gestures;
  • Physical conduct including but not limited to: assault; unwanted touching; and intentional confinement or restriction of others by physical contact, verbal or physical threats, or intimidation.
  • Implicit or explicit threats or demands to submit to sexual requests as a condition of receiving a benefit related to the Club, or to avoid a loss or damage related to the Club; and
  • Retaliation for reporting or threatening to report harassment.

Any person who believes they or anyone else has been harassed in violation of this policy should submit a complaint to the Club’s Board as soon as possible. The complaint should include details of the incident or incidents, names of the individuals involved, and names of any witnesses. All harassment complaints submitted to the Board will immediately be the subject of a thorough and objective investigation of the harassment allegations. If the Board determines that harassment has occurred, effective remedial action will be taken in alignment with the standards set out in Article 3.5 – Disciplinary Process of the VYP By-Laws and other Governing Documents. The Board may report the complaint to the Sponsor Club or RI and may seek guidance from those bodies.  The Board will take all reasonable precautions to protect the privacy of those involved and expects that all parties involved treat the matters with prudence, confidentiality and discretion. If the Board considers the complained of behaviour to be criminal in nature, they may forward the complaint and other relevant information to law enforcement agencies having jurisdiction over the matter. 

VYP will not retaliate against any member for filing a complaint and will not tolerate or permit retaliation by the Club or other Rotaractors.