Creating a positive and safe sport culture

The U.S. Center for SafeSport is an independent nonprofit committed to ending all forms of abuse in sport. This includes bullying, harassment, hazing, physical abuse, emotional abuse, and sexual misconduct and abuse. The Center is the first and only national organization of its kind. The Center provides services to sport entities on abuse prevention techniques, policies and programs and provides a safe, professional and confidential place for individuals to report sexual abuse within the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movements. Visit our Response and Resolution, and Education and Outreach pages to learn more about our work.

Our mission is to make athlete well-being the centerpiece of our nation’s sports culture. All athletes deserve to participate in sports free from bullying, hazing, sexual misconduct or any form of emotional or physical abuse.

Vision:

Our vision is that every athlete will be safe, supported, and strengthened through sport.

• Safe: Athletes are protected from emotional, physical, and sexual abuse.
• Supported: Athletes enjoy welcome, respectful environments and diversity is actively embraced.
• Strengthened: Athletes use the skills they’ve learned in sport to contribute to the well-being of their communities. Every athlete thrives, on and off the field of play.

As curling is an Olympic sport, Windy City Curling Club complies to the SafeSport Act and is bound to report any allegations of abuse, mental, physical, and/or sexual.

SafeSport Code of Conduct

Reporting Abuse:

If you are aware of abuse occurring in our club, please report it to a board member. All have been trained how to relay the information to the proper authorities and will keep all information private.

Windy City Curling Club is committed to providing a club free from discrimination, harassment and retaliation. Therefore, we will not tolerate harassment of any type based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older) disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or genetic information and other characteristics protected under state, federal or local laws. Such conduct in any form is prohibited in the club, at club related functions or outside of the club if it affects members in the club. This policy applies to all members and guests, doing business with the Windy City Curling Club.

All members must ensure they understand this policy and their obligations. Whether a member’s conduct violates this policy will be based how a member’s conduct is received and whether a reasonable person would find the conduct to be in violation of the policy.

Harassment is defined as unwelcome conduct that is based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information. Harassment becomes unlawful where:

• Enduring the offensive conduct becomes a condition of continued membership; or
• The conduct is severe or pervasive enough to create a club environment that a reasonable person would consider intimidating, hostile or abusive.

Anti-discrimination laws also prohibit harassment against individuals in retaliation for filing discrimination charges, testifying or participating in investigations, proceedings or lawsuits under these laws, or, for opposing member practices that they reasonably believe discriminate against individuals, in violation of these laws.

Petty slights, annoyances and isolated incidents (unless extremely serious) will not rise to the level of illegality. To be unlawful, the conduct must create a club environment that would be intimidating, hostile or offensive to reasonable people.

Offensive conduct may include, but is not limited to, offensive jokes, slurs, epithets or name-calling, physical assaults or threats, intimidation, ridicule or mockery, insults or put-downs, offensive objects or pictures, and interference with normal club proceedings. Harassment can occur in a variety of circumstances, including, but not limited to, the following:

• The harasser can be any member of the club, standard member or board member, as well as guests of the club.
• The victim does not have to be the person harassed but can be anyone who is affected by the offensive conduct.
• Unlawful harassment may occur without economic injury to, or discharge of, the victim.

If you feel that you are being harassed, you should take the following steps:

• Tell the harasser that his or her actions are not welcome and that they must stop, if you feel comfortable enough to do so.
• Report the incident immediately to a board member(s).
• Report any additional incidents or retaliation that may occur to a board member(s).

All reports will be investigated immediately and thoroughly. Complaints and actions taken to resolve complaints will be handled as confidentially as possible. Appropriate actions will be taken to stop and remedy such conduct, including interim measures during a period of investigation.

Retaliating or discriminating against a member who reports a suspected incident of harassment or who cooperates in an investigation is prohibited. Members who violate this policy or retaliate against another member in any way will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including banishment from the club.

Windy City Curling Club does not discriminate against anyone based on race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age (40 or older), disability status or any other trait that is protected under local, state or federal law. In addition, any kind of discrimination that is based on a protected trait is not allowed in the club. We are dedicated to a policy of non-discrimination in all aspects of membership and club activities. This policy applies not only to board member decisions, but also to all aspects of club.

Reports of discrimination will be investigated, and disciplinary measures may be taken.