Be Nice – Play Nice

Mountain Recreation Metropolitan District (Mountain Rec) supports a secure recreational climate, that is conducive to community health & recreation and free from threat, harassment, and any type of bullying behavior. The purpose of this policy is to promote consistency of approach and to help create a climate in which all types of bullying are regarded as unacceptable.

Bullying is the use of coercion or intimidation to obtain control over another person or to cause physical, mental, or emotional harm. Bullying can occur through written, verbal or electronically transmitted expression or by means of a physical act or gesture. Bullying is prohibited against any visitor, customer, volunteer or staff member for any reason, including but not limited to any such behavior that is directed toward a visitor or customer based on any basis protected by federal and state law, including disability, race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation (which includes transgender), national origin, religion, ancestry, or the need for special services, whether such characteristic(s) is actual or perceived.

Bullying is prohibited on district property, at district or district-sanctioned activities and events, when visitors or customers are being transported in any vehicle dispatched by the district or one of its facilities, or off district owner or managed property when such conduct has a nexus to district or any district activity or event.

Anyone who engages in any act of bullying and/or who takes any retaliatory action against an individual who reports in good faith an incident of bullying, is subject to appropriate disciplinary action including but not limited to suspension, refusal of services and/or referral to law enforcement authorities. The severity and pattern, if any, of the bullying behavior shall be taken into consideration when disciplinary decisions are made. Bullying behavior that constitutes unlawful discrimination or harassment shall be subject to investigation and discipline under related district policies and procedures. Individuals targeted by bullying when such bullying behavior may constitute unlawful discrimination or harassment also have additional rights and protections under district policies and procedures regarding unlawful discrimination and harassment.

A Mountain Rec Code of Conduct has been developed to ensure consistency in application of consequences for inappropriate behavior across programs and activities. The Code of Conduct is a guideline that is flexible to allow for situational variances. Patrons and participants desiring to appeal decisions made by Mountain Rec staff may do so through the Mountain Rec Sportsmanship Committee.

As a quasi-municipal corporation and political subdivision, Mountain Rec endeavors to permit the use of District owned and operated facilities by individuals and organizations in a manner designed to assure equal opportunity for full enjoyment and use of district facilities by all persons, free from restrictions because of race, creed, color, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, political ideology, age, religion, ancestry, national origin, or the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical handicap.

The District hereby requires sports organizations, as a condition of their use of publicly-owned facilities, to make all decisions affecting an individual’s participation in sports or special events conducted on District property without regard to the participant’s race, creed, color, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, political ideology, age, religion, ancestry, national origin, or the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical handicap or disability.

Sexual and other unlawful harassment is a violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII), as amended, as well as many state laws. Harassment based on a characteristic protected by law, such as race, color, ancestry, national origin, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, religion, age, disability, veteran status, or other characteristic protected by state or federal law, is prohibited.

It is Mountain Rec’s policy to provide an environment free of sexual and other harassment. To that end, harassment of Mountain Rec’s employees by management, supervisors, coworkers, or non-employees who are in the workplace is absolutely prohibited. Further, any retaliation against an individual who has complained about sexual or other harassment or retaliation against individuals for cooperating with an investigation of a harassment complaint is similarly unlawful and will not be tolerated. Mountain Rec will take all steps necessary to prevent and eliminate unlawful harassment.

All complaints will be investigated promptly and, to the extent possible, with regard for confidentiality.  If the investigation confirms conduct contrary to this policy has occurred, Mountain Rec will take immediate, appropriate, corrective action, including discipline, up to and including immediate suspension or expulsion from activities occurring on/in Mountain Rec owned and operated facilities.

Suspensions may be levied for behavior in violation of Mountain Rec policies and shall vary depending on the severity of the violation. Go HERE to view a code of conduct table with details on actions and consequences.

Fines shall be due and payable to a qualified not-for-profit agency offering services related to behavioral health, the prevention of bullying, or similar.  A list of qualified not-for-profit organizations shall be kept on file at each of Mountain Rec’s service hubs.  Fines shall be levied in the following amounts:

First offense                                                       $50

Second offense                                                 $150

Third and subsequent offenses                   $250

Service hours may be assigned in lieu of or in addition to suspension or fine.  The number of service hours shall vary based on the severity of the violation.  Mountain Rec staff may work with individuals assigned service hours to find appropriate service assignments and to verify documentation of hours completed.

 

Use of Mountain Rec owned and operated facilities and properties is predicated on compliance with and enforcement of Mountain Rec polices intended to prevent discrimination, bullying, and harassment. Incidents occurring during organized group use of Mountain Rec facilities must be reported to Mountain Rec within five (5) business days of the incident. Reports shall include summary documentation of the incident and disposition of consequences assigned to any parties involved. Failure to report or manage incidents may result in loss of use privileges for the organized group.

Patrons or participants of sports organizations’ programs who are dissatisfied with the handling of a discrimination, bullying, or harassment incident by an organization, or who are not comfortable reporting an incident to the managing organization for any reason, should report the incident and its current disposition to Mountain Rec staff at any of Mountain Rec’s service hub facilities. The Mountain Rec Sportsmanship Committee shall review reported incidents.

 

Review process:

• An aggrieved person may open an initial report or an appeal of a sports organization’s decision governed by these policies by submitting a request for hearing within five (5) business days of the sports organization’s decision or the unreported incident. The request shall be in writing and include a statement of the alleged facts and the reasons the complainant believes the organization has not reasonably and in good faith complied with the policies herein or applied the Code of Conduct.
• The Sportsmanship Committee shall meet within fourteen (14) calendar days of receiving a request, with notice to the participant and the sports organization of the meeting date, time and place.
• The Committee shall provide both the complainant(s) and the sports organization(s) the opportunity to present relevant information, including at the Committee’s discretion, witness testimony and documents.
• The committee shall determine, within twenty-one (21) calendar days after receiving a request, whether the sports organization has reasonably and in good faith followed the policies or applied the Code of Conduct.

 

 

Having made such a determination, the committee may recommend:

1. that no further action be taken;
2. that the Executive Director remand the question to the organization to review; within seven (7) calendar days, its procedures and reconsider its decision; or
3. what, if any other action it recommends the Executive Director take.

 

 

If the Committee determines that an organization has not reasonably and in good faith complied with the polices or applied Code of Conduct, the Committee may recommend that the District:

1. deny an organization’s pending request to use District facilities;
2. revoke an organization’s conditional permission to use District facilities or
3. take other appropriate action.

 

A Sportsmanship Committee for the District has been created to oversee the implementation of Mountain Rec policies related to discrimination, bullying, and harassment. Mountain Rec may, if it deems appropriate, assemble a sportsmanship committee comprised of two (2) Mountain Rec staff, two (2) representatives from local sports organizations, one (1) member of the Mountain Rec Board of Directors, and one at-large representative from the general public. Individuals may appeal penalties imposed by Mountain Rec or youth sports organizations utilizing Mountain Rec owned and operated facilities by submitting a written request for appeal to the Mountain Rec Executive Director within five (5) business days of the imposition of the penalty. If deemed an appropriate appeal, the issue will be heard by the committee at the earliest time following completion of incident investigation in which the District is able to convene the committee with at least five of six members present.

 

PLEASE NOTE:

• There shall be no appeal of an official’s judgment of a player or play during a game.
• Single game suspensions may not be appealed due to time constraints related to holding a hearing of the appeal.

 

Decisions of the Sportsmanship Committee shall be final.