SEXUAL ABUSE AND MISCONDUCT PREVENTION POLICY

Titans Basketball and its sponsor Supporting Student Athletes, Inc. prohibit and do not tolerate sexual abuse or misconduct during any organization-related activity.

Titans Basketball and its sponsor Supporting Student Athletes, Inc. provide procedures for players, parents/guardians, coaches or any other victims of sexual abuse or misconduct to report such acts. Those reasonably suspected or believed to have committed sexual abuse or misconduct will be appropriately disciplined and criminally prosecuted.

Sexual abuse or misconduct may include, but is not limited to:

• Child sexual abuse – any sexual activity, involvement or attempt of sexual contact with a person who is a minor (under 18 years old) where consent is not or cannot be given.
• Physical assaults or violence, such as rape, sexual battery, abuse, molestation or any attempt to commit such acts.
• Unwanted and intentional physical conduct that is sexual in nature, such as touching, pinching, patting, brushing, massaging someone’s neck or shoulders and/or pulling against another’s body or clothes.
• Material such as pornographic or sexually explicit images, posters, calendars or objects.
• Unwelcome and inappropriate sexual activities, advances, comments, innuendoes, bullying, jokes, gestures, electronic communications or messages (e.g. email, text, social media, voicemail), exploitation, exposure, leering, stalking or invasion of sexual privacy.

Reporting Procedure

• Immediately report suspected sexual abuse or misconduct to one of the coaches (jcohen@titansbball.org / jvandorn@titansbball.org).
• It is not required to directly confront the person who is the source of the report, question or complaint before notifying any of the individuals listed. The Titans Basketball Program will take every reasonable measure to ensure that those named in the complaint or are too closely associated with those involved in the complaint, will not be part of the investigative team.

Anti-retaliation and False Allegations

• Titans Basketball and its sponsor Supporting Student Athletes, Inc. prohibits retaliation made against any individual who lodges a good faith complaint of sexual abuse or misconduct or who participates in any related investigation.
• Making knowingly false or malicious accusations of sexual abuse or misconduct can have serious consequences for those who are wrongly accused. Titans Basketball and its sponsor Supporting Student Athletes, Inc. prohibit making false or malicious sexual misconduct allegations, as well as deliberately providing false information during an investigation. Anyone who violates this rule is subject to disciplinary action and criminal prosecution.

Investigation and Follow-up

• Titans Basketball and its sponsor Supporting Student Athletes, Inc. will take all allegations of sexual abuse or misconduct seriously and will promptly, thoroughly and equitably investigate whether misconduct has taken place.
• The organization may utilize an outside third-party to conduct an investigation of misconduct.
• Titans Basketball and its sponsor Supporting Student Athletes, Inc. will cooperate fully with any investigation conducted by law enforcement or other regulatory/protective services agencies.
• Titans Basketball and its sponsor Supporting Student Athletes, Inc. will make every reasonable effort to keep the matters involved in the allegation as confidential as possible while still allowing for a prompt and thorough investigation.

Reporting to Law Enforcement or Appropriate Child or Adult Protective Services

• Titans Basketball and its sponsor Supporting Student Athletes, Inc. is committed to following the state and federal legal requirements for reporting allegations or incidents of sexual abuse or misconduct to appropriate law enforcement and child or adult protective services organizations.

Employee and Volunteer Screening

• As part of its sexual abuse and misconduct prevention program, Titans Basketball and its sponsor Supporting Student Athletes, Inc. are committed to maintaining a screening program for prospective and existing employees and volunteers. The organization may utilize a variety of methods of screening and selection, including but not limited to applications, personal interviews, criminal background checks and personal and professional references.

Supervision of Youth

• Titans Basketball and its sponsor Supporting Student Athletes, Inc. strives that a minimum of two adults supervise or be in attendance with minors during organization-related activities. The purpose is to avoid one-on-one interactions between adults and minors that are not easily observable by others.

Acknowledgement

I acknowledge that I have read the Sexual Abuse and Misconduct Prevention Policy. I understand that it is my responsibility to abide by all rules contained in the policy. I also understand how to report incidents of sexual abuse or misconduct as set forth in the policy, including retaliation against any person exercising his or her rights under the policy.