Wic-Can Fest is committed to fostering an environment free from discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and forms of sexual misconduct. The community can only flourish when we treat one another with dignity and respect. To this end, Wic-Can Fest prohibits discrimination, harassment, retaliation and other forms of misconduct on the basis of race, disability, religion, age, sex, gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation. The protections and prohibitions in this policy extend to any participant, including attendees, staff, volunteers, contractors, vendors, and guests taking part in Wic-Can Fest-sponsored events and activities. All participants, including staff, volunteers, contractors, vendors, and guests, shall engage in respectful behaviour.

Reports should be directed to a Wic-Can Fest Committee member. Members can be requested at administration.

DEFINITIONS AND FURTHER INFO

Discrimination
Discrimination is any prejudicial treatment of an individual or group of people based, but not limited to such factors as, race, color, ancestry, national origin, place of birth, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth and related conditions), age, religion, creed, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity. Discrimination can be behavior or inaction that is physical, verbal, or visual; it can be in person, over the phone, written or online. This prejudicial treatment can include: offensive jokes or demeaning remarks; name calling, offensive nicknames, or slurs; threats and intimidation; threats or solicitation made by a person in a position to confer, grant, or deny a benefit or advancement outside Wic-Can Fest sanctioned events.

Sexual Harassment

Wic-can Fest prohibits sexual harassment. Sexual harassment is behaviour (speech or actions) in formal or informal settings that demeans, humiliates, or threatens an individual on the basis of their sex, gender, gender expression, or sexual orientation. Sexual harassment can also take nonsexual forms and includes discriminatory remarks or actions based on an individual’s sex, gender, gender expression, or sexual orientation. Sexual harassment includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal comment or physical conduct of a sexual nature, including situations in which the request or conduct involves any implied or expressed promise of reward for complying; or the request or conduct involves any implied or expressed threat of reprisal or denial of opportunity for refusing to comply; or the request or conduct results in what reasonably may be perceived as a hostile or intimidating environment. Sexual harassment does not refer to occasional compliments of a socially acceptable nature or consensual personal and social relationships without discriminatory effect. It refers to behavior that reasonably situated persons would regard as not welcome and as personally intimidating, hostile, or offensive.

Sexual Misconduct

Wic-Can Fest prohibits other forms of sexual misconduct. Sexual misconduct is a broad term encompassing any unwelcome behavior of a sexual nature that is committed without consent or by force, intimidation, coercion, or manipulation. Sexual misconduct can be committed by a person of any gender, and it can occur between people of the same or different genders. Sexual misconduct may vary in its severity and consists of a range of behavior or attempted behavior. It can occur between strangers or acquaintances, including people involved in an intimate or sexual relationship. It includes but is not limited to: sexual assault (a continuum of conduct from forcible penetration to nonphysical forms of pressure that compel individuals to engage in sexual activity against their will); sexual exploitation (taking nonconsensual, unjust, or abusive sexual advantage of another person); and sexual intimidation (threatening another person that you will commit a sex act against them or engaging in indecent exposure).

Consent

For the purposes of this policy, consent is a freely and affirmatively communicated willingness to participate in particular sexual activity or behavior, expressed either by words or clear, unambiguous actions. Consent can be withdrawn at any time, and, by definition, a person is incapable of consent if the person is unable to understand the facts, nature, extent, or implications of the situation and/or if the person is incapacitated, which includes incapacitation by extreme intoxication, drug use, mental disability, or being unconscious. Critically, the person initiating a particular sexual activity or behavior bears the responsibility of receiving consent. In examining the existence of consent under this policy, Wic-Can Fest will seek to determine, in view of the totality of the circumstances, whether a reasonable person would conclude that the recipient of the initiated sexual activity or behavior was (a) capable of consenting and (b) affirmatively communicated consent to the sexual activity or behavior at issue by words or clear, unambiguous actions.

Retaliation

Retaliation against a complainant of sexual discrimination or harassment or other forms of sexual misconduct is also a violation of these policies. Retaliation occurs when a complainant is deterred from, or punished for, making a complaint in good faith. Retaliation is not limited to formal employment actions such as termination, demotion, non-promotion, or non-selection, but includes any harassing behavior made against a complainant as a result of filing a complaint in good faith.

Reporting, Confidentiality and Acknowledgement

Wic-Can Fest will endeavor to keep all proceedings related to discrimination, harassment, retaliation or other forms of sexual misconduct confidential between Wic-Can Fest, the parties and witnesses. However, Wic-Can Fest cannot guarantee absolute confidentiality of such proceedings. Wic-Can Fest will cooperate with and otherwise share its knowledge and findings with public authorities as required by law.

Possible Consequences

In investigating a complaint, Wic-Can Fest will hear from both the accuser and the accused. If a violation is determined, possible consequences to be implemented during or after the meeting, activity, or event may include:

• Warn the violator to cease their behavior and that any further reports will result in more serious consequences
• Issue a “no-contact’ directive that prohibits the violator from contacting the complainant
• Require that the violator immediately leave the event and not return
• Ban the violator from future events (either indefinitely or for a certain time period).
• Immediately end any volunteer responsibilities and privileges the violator holds.
• Require that the violator not volunteer or serve as a contract employee or vendor for Wic-Can Fest, either indefinitely or for a certain time period.
• Remove and ban the violator from participating in any Wic-Can Fest sanctioned events in perpetuity.

The Wic-Can Fest Committee is responsible for implementing and enforcing any response to a violation.

Appeals Procedure

Violators who wish to appeal the Wic-Can Fest decision may contact the committee in writing with further information regarding the incident.

If a majority of the committee finds that a reconsideration of the decision is warranted, it may overturn the earlier decision.