Depending on the facts and circumstances, the following are examples of conduct that may violate this policy:
- Posting, possessing, sending, soliciting, or displaying in the workplace sexually suggestive, racist, "hate site" related, or obscene letters, notes, invitations, cartoons, posters, facsimiles, electronic mail, or web links;
- Verbal conduct such as whistling and catcalls, using or making lewd or derogatory noises, or making graphic comments about another's body, participating in explicit discussions about sexual experiences and/or desires, or sexual gossip/rumors;
- Verbal conduct such as using sexually, racially, or ethnically degrading words or names, using or making racial or ethnic epithets, slurs, or jokes;
- Verbal conduct such as comments or gestures about a person's physical appearance which have a racial, sexual, disability-related, religious, age, or ethnic connotation or derogatory comments about religious differences and practices;
- Physical conduct such as touching, pinching, massaging, hugging, kissing, rubbing or brushing the body, making sexual gestures, and/or impeding or blocking an individual's passage or normal movements;
- Visual conduct such as staring, leering, displaying, or circulating sexually suggestive objects, pictures, posters, photographs, cartoons, calendars, drawings, magazines, computer images, or graphics;
- Sexual advances or propositions, including repeated and unwanted requests for a date;
- Retaliation in any form, including withholding work-related information, giving punitive work assignments, or denial of job benefits;
- Hazing based on any protected status, including withholding assistance, giving demeaning, unattainable, or unnecessary job assignments, or ignoring the presence of a co-worker; or
- Adverse employment actions like discharge and/or demotion based on or because of any of the protected characteristics delineated in this policy.
This list is not exhaustive. Any conduct which is retaliatory or based on or because of a protected characteristic, may also violate this policy.
Department Members: For purposes of this policy, "Department members" is defined as employees of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and applicants for employment, whether sworn (regular or reserve) or professional staff, volunteers, explorer scouts, and outside vendors.
Location: This policy prohibits discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and inappropriate conduct toward others based on or because of a protected characteristic, in the workplace or in other work-related settings such as work-related social events (e.g., retirement parties). Depending upon the facts and circumstances, this policy also prohibits off-site, off-duty conduct with a nexus to the workplace, where such conduct meets one of the foregoing definitions of prohibited conduct and has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual's employment or creating an intimidating, hostile, offensive, or abusive working environment.
Communication System/Equipment: This policy also applies to the use of any Departmental communication system or equipment, including but not limited to, electronic mail, internet, intranet, JDIC, telephone lines, cellphones, computers, tablets, facsimile machines, voicemail, radio, and mobile digital computers. Employees will be disciplined in accordance with this policy for using any Departmental communication system or equipment to deliver, display, store, publish, circulate, or solicit material in violation of this policy.