NHYS bullying/harassment policy
Overview
New Haven Youth Soccer prohibits acts of harassment, intimidation or bullying. A safe and civil environment is critical for the safety, training and enjoyment of all members of the league. Harassment, intimidation or bullying, like other disruptive behaviors, is conduct that disrupts both an individual’s ability to participate fully in the activities of the league and endangers our ability to provide a safe environment; and since individuals learn by example, Coaches, administrators, and other volunteers should be commended for demonstrating appropriate behavior, treating others with civility and respect, and refusing to tolerate harassment, intimidation or bullying.
Any individual participating or observing any NHYS activity must agree to adhere to the non-negotiable Harassment/Intimidation/Bullying Policies to be present at any NHYS home or away event.
Harassment/Intimidation
Harassment and intimidation means any gesture, written, verbal or physical act that originates and/or takes place in conjunction with any league sponsored function, or activity, and that:
- Is motivated by any actual or perceived characteristic, such as race, color religion, ancestry, national origin, gender identity and expression, or mental, physical or sensory disability; or
- By any other distinguishing characteristic; and
- Any reasonable person should know, under the circumstances, that the act(s) will have the effect of harming an individual or damaging the individual’s property or placing an individual in reasonable fear of harm to his/her person or damage to his/her property. Or
- Has the effect of insulting or demeaning any individual or group of individuals in such a way as to cause substantial disruption in, or substantial interference with, the orderly operation of the league.
Bullying
- The repeated use by one or more individual of a written, oral or electronic communication, such as cyberbullying directed against another individual with the intent to ridicule, harass, humiliate or intimidate the other individuals at or about any league activity.
- A physical act or gesture by one or more individuals repeatedly directed at another individual associated with the league that:
- (i) causes physical or emotional harm to such individual or damage to such individual’s property,
- (ii) places such individual in reasonable fear of harm to himself or herself, or of damage to his or her property
- (iii) creates a hostile environment at or during league activities
- (iv) infringes on the rights of such individual, or
- (v) substantially disrupts the orderly operation of the league.
- Beyond this, bullying includes, but is not limited to “a written, oral or electronic communication or physical act or gesture based on any actual or perceived differentiating characteristic, such as race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, socioeconomic status, physical appearance, or mental, physical, developmental or sensory disability, or by association with an individual or group who has or is perceived to have one or more of such characteristics.
New Haven Youth Soccer’s Board of Directors
- Permits anonymous reports of bullying by players and written reports by adults, parents, or guardians;
- Requires coaches and assistant coaches to notify league officials of bullying acts they witness and player reports they receive;
- Requires league officials to investigate parents written reports and review players anonymous reports;
- Requires league officials to suspend all players involved in a verified act of bullying for a minimum of one game for the first verified act;
- Requires league officials to suspend all players involved in multiple acts of bullying for the remainder of the current season at a minimum;
- Requires notice to parents or guardians of all players involved in a verified act of bullying. The notice must describe the Board’s response and any consequences that may result from further acts of bullying.
