C4SO’s Sexual Harassment Prevention Training is based on four commitments crucial to a godly perspective on workplace conflict:

            1) God is our highest authority.

            2) Our standards are higher than the world’s standards.

            3) We should treat others as made in the image of God.

            4) The workplace and ministry environment should be free from harassment.

C4SO policy denounces any form of harassment against any person in our diocese. According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, “it is unlawful to harass a person (an applicant or employee) because of that person’s sex. Harassment can include ‘sexual harassment’ or unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical harassment of a sexual nature. When this conduct explicitly or implicitly affects an individual’s employment, unreasonably interferes with an individual’s work performance, or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment, it is sexual harassment.”

View the C4SO Safe Church Training Website: https://c4so.org/safe-church-training/

Report a troubling incident you experienced or witnessed: https://c4so.org/report/

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2024 C4SO Sexual Harassment Prevention Training Video

Five Key Takeaways & Examples

Harassment is more common than we may have thought.

Workplace violators: employees, applicants for jobs – even if they did not get the job, volunteers, paid or unpaid interns, independent contractors and vendors.

 Harassment can occur in variety of circumstances:

-       Either gender can be a victim or harasser

-       Victim does not have to be opposite sex

-       Victim may not just be the person harassed, but anyone affected by the offensive conduct

-       Unlawful sexual harassment may still occur without economic injury or discharge of the victim

-       Rudeness and bullying can also constitute harassment

-       Legally protected classes of victims include: race, color (can include things such as their hair texture and style), ancestry, national origin, religion, creed, age, disability: mental or physical, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, military or veteran status

We all have a part to play to ensure harassment doesn’t happen in our churches or diocese.

-       Encourage respect and build habits of caring for others.

-       Help identify workplace activities that should come to an end.

-       Articulate workplace standards that apply to everyone in the church environment.

-       Supervisors MUST take prompt and corrective action if they see or know of harassment.

-       Employers must do their best to prevent incidents of sexual harassment in their workplace.

-       There must be no retaliation against someone for reporting harassment.

Rude and bullying behavior can lead to unlawful harassment.

Examples of rude behavior: 

-       Not greeting people who say hello 

-       Intentionally excluding someone from normal conversations and making them feel unwelcome

-       Failing to say thank you

-       Interrupting co-workers 

-       Responding with frequent sarcasm or anger to normal interactions

Examples of bullying: 

-       Yelling at applicants, coworkers or volunteers

-       Making threats (to dismiss, demote, or give a bad review)

-       Spreading false information or rumors

-       Attempts to destroy self-esteem/confidence of others

-       Behavior meant to undermine, patronize, humiliate, intimidate or demean

Unlawful harassment can consist of a hostile work environment, quid pro quo, or other forms of sexual harassment.

Hostile Work Environment When there is unwelcome behavior related to a legally protected characteristic that is pervasive or severe and unreasonably interferes with an individual’s ability to do their job. It is the result of a pattern of behavior to reach this level usually, but one single severe instance can constitute hostile environment. Examples of hostile environment: 

-       Repeated crude jokes or request for a date 

-       Demeaning comments 

-       Widespread sexual favoritism 

-       Ongoing and severe

-       Discussing a person’s physical appearances or mannerisms in a harmful way

-       Specifically directed toward an individual 

Quid Pro Quo You do something for me, and I’ll do something for you. Example: If a person in authority says, “You’ll be guaranteed a job if you go on a date with me.”

Examples of unlawful harassment behavior: 

-       Unwelcome sexual advances or invitations

-       Unnecessary or unwanted touching such as groping, massaging or pinching, blocking normal movement, or physically interfering with the work of another individual

-       Threats or demands that a person submit to sexual requests as a condition of continued employment or to avoid some other loss, and offers of employment related benefits in return for sexual favors 

-       Displaying or sharing offensive images such as posters, videos, photos, cartoons, screen savers, emails, drawings or social media sites that are derogatory or sexual

-       Offensive comments about appearance, or other personal or physical characteristics, such as sexually charged comments or comments on someone’s physical disability. 

Examples of unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature: 

-       Referring to another as a “girl,” “hottie,” “hunk,” “doll,” “babe,” “honey,” etc

-       Kissing sounds, howling and smacking lips

-       Pressure for sexual favors or to go out on a date

-       Sexual looks or gestures or whistling at someone

-       Sending letters, telephone calls, emails, texts, or other materials of a sexual nature

-       Sexual teasing, jokes, remarks, or questions

-       Turning work discussions to sexual topics

-       Asking about sexual fantasies, preferences, or history

-       Sexual comments, sexual innuendos, or sexual stories

-       Sexual comments about a person’s clothing, body, or looks

-       Telling lies or spreading rumors about a person’s sex life

-       Massaging a person’s neck, shoulders, etc.

-       Touching another employee on their clothing, hair, or body

-       Deliberately touching, leaning over, or cornering another person

-       Actual or attempted rape or sexual assault

Harassment should be reported right away. If you see or experience sexual harassment:  

-       You have the right to tell the person to stop. 

-       You have the right to report the sexual harassment. 

-       You are protected from retaliation.

-       Report a violation to Cher Hains cher@atltrinity.org or 404-998-2826, Business Director at Trinity, who will connect with the ombudsman of the diocese. 

-       If the violation involves a member of leadership, reports can be made directly to the diocese at: https://c4so.org/report

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 Additional Notes for Church Employees & Supervisors

Best Practices for Prevention:

-       Every C4SO church must adopt diocesan Safe Church Training policies.

-       Churches must ensure that all employees, volunteers, and interns take C4SO’s Sexual Harassment Prevention Training annually.

-       Churches must ensure that all employees, volunteers and interns know how to report incidents of sexual harassment or conduct of a sexual nature at c4so.org/report

-       Supervisors must monitor the conduct in their work environment to ensure the workplace is free of sexual harassment.

-       Supervisors must lead by example and model appropriate conduct.

-       Supervisors should conduct a “climate check” during the year to find out how employees are experiencing the church’s workplace culture, specifically in the area of sexual harassment.

Risk factors for a Hostile Work Environment:

-       Homogenous workforces

-       Workplaces where some employees do not conform to workplace norms

-       Cultural and language differences in the workplace

-       Coarsened social discourse outside of the workplace

-       Young workforces

-       Workplaces with “high value” employees – for instance, pastors who attain a celebrity-like status

-       Workplaces with significant power disparities

-       Workplaces that rely on customer service or client satisfaction

-       Monotonous or low intensity workplaces

-       Isolated workplaces

-       Workplaces that tolerate or encourage alcohol consumption

-       Decentralized workplaces

Risk factors likely at church environment:

-       A homogenous workforce

-       A young workforce

-       Workplaces with high-value employees, like celebrity pastors

-       Workplaces with significant power disparities, like the lead pastor vs the secretary or janitor

-       Isolated workplaces, like missionaries away overseas

-       Decentralized workplaces, or remote working environments

Possible Next steps for Violators:

-       Corrective disciplinary action

-       Counseling, training or closer supervision of the employee

-       Risk reduction

-       Victim follow-up

View the C4SO Safe Church Training Website: https://c4so.org/safe-church-training/

Report a troubling incident you experienced or witnessed: https://c4so.org/report/