DoD Instruction 5400.17
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Anti-Harassment Program
Creating and maintaining a harassment-free environment is essential to successfully accomplishing DoDEA’s mission. DoDEA does not permit harassment or retaliation in its facilities or services. The DoDEA Anti-Harassment Program reinforces the Agency’s ability to take immediate and appropriate corrective action to eliminate and prevent future harassing conduct, regardless of whether the conduct violated law.
All DoDEA employees, contractors, volunteers, and applicants seeking employment.
DoDEA defines prohibited harassment beyond the legal definitions. DoDEA defines harassment as:
Behavior considered by a reasonable person as unwelcome or offensive that interferes with work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment.
Harassment can be verbal, visual, written, physical, or electronic (e.g., social media).
Examples of harassment:
- Offensive jokes about a protected class
- Repeated ridicule or mockery
- Bullying
- Displaying offensive print media
- Unwanted physical contact
- Slang, slurs, or inappropriate “nicknames”
- Threatening or provoking remarks
- Denying an employee sick leave to care for their child if taking leave does not adversely affect work performance
What is NOT harassment:
- Petty slights
- Minor annoyances
- Constructive criticism
- Performance counseling
- Inconsiderate behavior
- Action undertaken for proper governmental purposes
- Behavior that a reasonable person would not consider adversely affects work production or the environment
Employees are obligated to report incidents they perceive as harassment, which includes those they have personally experienced or witnessed, to:
- Their supervisor or the supervisor of the offending employee, or
- The DoDEA Anti-Harassment Program. Download and complete the DoDEA Anti-Harassment Program Allegation Intake Sheet and return to the DoDEA Anti-Harassment Program at AntiHarassmentProgram@dodea.edu. (The document must be downloaded and completed on your computer, or the information will not save.)
NOTE: The DoDEA Anti-Harassment Program operates independently from the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) process and does not affect an employee's right to file an EEO complaint nor does it alter required timelines for filing an EEO complaint.
When management officials identify harassment or are notified about suspected harassment, they must:
- Act promptly to protect the employees and stop, correct, and prevent future occurrences.
- Immediately intervene with interim measures for allegations of inappropriate touching, potential violence, risk to program integrity, or minimize harm. Temporary measures might include:
- No contact orders
- Temporary relocation / telework
- Administrative leave (rare)
- Contact the Anti-Harassment Program for guidance on assessing harassment allegations and conducting related management inquiries.
- Determine appropriate corrective action measures, with consultation from Labor Management and Employee Relations and Office of General Counsel, to correct and prevent future occurrences.
Contact the DoDEA Anti-Harassment Program at AntiHarassmentProgram@dodea.edu
- DoD Instruction 1020.04, “Harassment Prevention and Response for DoD Civilian Employees” (Change 1 Effective January 17, 2025)
- DoDEA Administrative Instruction 1426.01, “Disciplinary and Adverse Actions,” of October 14, 2021, as amended
