It is the policy of Oklahoma City Improv Foundation (“OKCI”) to maintain a working, performing  and learning environment free from sexual, racial, age-based, religious, ethnic, disability, sexual  orientation, gender identity and/or expression, and any other form of forbidden harassment of any OKCI board or staff members, intern, performer or student. Such harassment in any  manner or form is expressly prohibited. It is also the policy of OKCI that no individual be  subjected to any unwelcome conduct that is or should be known to be offensive because of his  or her gender, race, age, religion, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or  expression, or other protected category.  

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OKCI recognizes that, as a comedy theater, the environment is not typical of all workplaces. The  work that we do can sometimes veer toward being “blue” or “R-rated,” and the atmosphere of  OKCI community is social as well as professional. It is not the intention of OKCI to mimic an  office environment. While this may require a more nuanced reading of social cues than the  more clearly defined office environment, it is the hope of OKCI that with a combination of  communication, common sense, respect, and empathy, the community can create an  environment that prioritizes safety.  

All reported or reasonably suspected occurrences of forbidden harassment will be investigated  (in accordance with the procedures outlined below) in a confidential manner and as promptly  and thoroughly as is practicable and necessary. Where forbidden harassment has occurred,  OKCI will take appropriate disciplinary, educational, or other corrective action, up to and  including termination from a staff position, the loss of ability to perform or be in the audience  at the Theater, or the immediate revocation of a student’s ability to take classes at OKCI.  

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There will be no retaliation against an individual who has complained about or reported alleged  forbidden harassment or who has cooperated with an investigation of alleged forbidden  harassment, regardless of the outcome of the investigation. 

Performers and instructors who are applying to perform or instruct at OKCI who are outside of  the general OKCI community shall be required to sign acknowledgement of receipt and  understanding of the misconduct policy before being scheduled to perform or teach.  

Sexual Harassment in a Theater Environment:

• Sexual harassment includes but is not limited to: 

- Unwelcome remarks, jokes, innuendoes, or taunts about a person's body, attire,  gender, or sexual orientation outside the boundaries of consent or production  content; 

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- Negative stereotyping of race, gender, gender identity, religion, color, national  origin, ancestry, marital status, sexual orientation, ability, or other status 

protected by law outside the boundaries of consent or production content; 

- Any unwanted or inappropriate physical contact such as touching, kissing,  massaging, patting, hugging, or pinching outside the boundaries of consent or  production content;  

- Unwelcome inquiries or comments about a person's sex life or sexual preference  outside the boundaries of consent or production content;  

- Leering, whistling, or other suggestive or insulting sounds outside the boundaries  of consent or production content;  

- Inappropriate comments about clothing, physical characteristics, or activities  outside the boundaries of consent or production content;  

- Posting or displaying materials, articles, or graffiti that is sexually oriented  outside the boundaries of consent or production content;  

- Requests or demands for sexual favors, especially those that include, or imply,  promises of rewards for complying (e.g., job advancement opportunities) and/or  threats of punishment for refusal (e.g., denial of job advancement or  

opportunities) outside the boundaries of consent or production content;  

- Attempting to engage in sexual behaviors offstage that are choreographed for  the stage; boundaries; 

- Repeated invitation/suggestion to take relationships of a sexual nature beyond  the stage;  

- Improvising sexual content without expressed consent.  

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Hostile Environment Harassment

Hostile environment sexual harassment may occur when there are unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or other verbal  or physical conduct of a sexual nature. Also, non-sexual conduct that is unwelcome and  offensive and which is directed at an individual because of the individual’s gender may  create a hostile environment. Racial, age-based, religious, ethnic, disability, sexual  orientation, gender identity and/or expression, and other forbidden forms of  harassment may occur when there is conduct which is motivated by or relates to an  individual’s race, age, religion, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity  and/or expression, or other characteristics protected by law or policy. Hostile  environment harassment occurs when such conduct is sufficiently severe or pervasive to  and does: (i) unreasonably interfere with an individual’s work, performance or ability to  learn, or (ii) create an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work, performance or learning environment.

“Quid Pro Quo” Sexual Harassment

“ Quid Pro Quo” sexual harassment may occur  when there are unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or other verbal  or physical conduct of a sexual nature when (i) submission to such conduct is an explicit  or implicit condition of employment, performance ability or student advancement, or (ii)  submission to or rejection of such conduct is used as the basis for employment,  performance, or educational advancement decisions.  

Special Note on Civility and Professionalism

OKCI believes the best way to avoid situations that may be construed as harassment is for all OKCI board and staff members,  interns, students, or featured performers to treat each other in a respectful and  professional manner. OKCI may, in the future, offer insights or guidelines on creating an  environment of civility, but ultimately, respect is at the core of this philosophy.  

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Special Note on Performance Harassment 

Given the nature of performances at OKCI and in classes of material that, in some cases, could be considered offensive to some, it is  not the policy of OKCI to punish individuals or to stifle the creative abilities of performers  whose artistic expression may be considered offensive to others. However, if it is  determined that the offensive content of the performance was done in an effort to  harass a particular individual from the stage or to express the performer’s hatred and/or  intolerance to a protected individual or group, then appropriate disciplinary action may  occur. Additionally, if it is determined that an individual performer or group of  performers is pervasively offensive or harassing in their performances, disciplinary or  corrective action may occur. Furthermore, if it is determined that behavior that was done  without intent to harass but has nevertheless caused discomfort, fear, or other feelings  of harassment in members of the community or audience, this behavior (at the time it is  identified to leadership of OKCI) will be pointed out to the performer or performers  responsible. If the identified behavior is not remedied, corrective action may occur.  

- In a theatrical context, harassment can be additionally defined as one or a series of  comments or conduct of a gender-related or sexual nature outside the boundaries of  consent or production content, which is known or ought reasonably be known to be  unwelcome/unwanted, offensive, intimidating, hostile, or inappropriate. It is worth  noting that the higher the potential for an adverse response an action has, the higher  the risk of potential policy violation for the person committing the action in question.

Participants have the right to be free from

- Sexual solicitation or advance made by a person in a position to confer, grant, or  deny a benefit or advancement outside production content;

- Reprisal or threat of reprisal for the rejection of a sexual solicitation or advance  where the reprisal is made by a person in a position to grant, confer, or deny a  benefit or advancement outside production content.  

- Any of the behaviors outlined here have the potential to create a negative environment  for individuals or groups. It should be noted that a person does not have to be a direct  target to be adversely affected by a negative environment. It is understood that creative  atmospheres are not always “emotionally sanitary”—they can safely be bawdy, profane,  vulgar, and challenging. We assert that having (a) a practice of building consent and (b)  an environment that allows for response to clear boundary violations can broaden our  opportunity to be challenging and fearless in our work.  

- Concerns about harassment, safety, or a negative environment should be reported using  the concern resolution path (starting with level one wherever possible), and all concerns  should be treated with the utmost respect for the safety and well-being of all  participants.  

Consensual Relationships Between Faculty and Students 

It is against OKCI policy for students and instructors to enter into romantic and/or sexual relationships with one another while the instructor is teaching the student in a class and/or  supervising the student’s work at OKCI. If, after a period of instruction or supervision, a teacher  and a student begin a romantic and/or sexual relationship, they shall not be prohibited from  teaching or being taught by one another, given that the instructor discloses the relationship to  the Education Director prior to the beginning of the class and to the class at the first session to  avoid any potential confusion. 

PLEASE NOTE that even where both parties have consented at  the outset to a romantic and/or sexual involvement, such consent does not preclude a  subsequent charge of sexual harassment should circumstances change in the future. Further, it  is possible that interaction between a teacher and their student/partner could create a hostile  environment within the class and that a teacher can still commit quid pro quo harassment  against a partner over whom they exert authority. The increased risk of policy violation rests  primarily with the instructor, but perhaps also with the student in the event of a hostile  environment complaint or other situation in which they are a participant. 

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Dealing with Traumatic Material in the Performance Context 

Under no circumstances is any performer, student, teacher, or other member of the instruction and performance community required to power through any scenarios that may arise during  improv performance that cause them emotional distress. If a scene is overwhelming, a  performer or other directly involved person has just as much right as a member of an audience to take themselves to a safer space to regroup. In class, this might look like a performer returning to their seat mid scene. It might be that a performer needs a minute to themselves and they leave the classroom. It might be that a performer is unintentionally and unexpectedly  presented with details on stage which cause distress. They are empowered to excuse themselves for the time required to regain their sense of calm. That might be the rest of the performance. It might be that a performer desires to move on from that topic and pivot the scene in a different direction. The method of resolving the distress is, within reason, up to the individual performer and for this reason, there is not a one-size-fits-all approach to resolving  this issue. All members of a performance need to support their troupe-mate by helping them  navigate away from the topic or take a leave from the performance if necessary. 

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Classes and troupes are encouraged to come up with a way to signal that a person is needing to  take a break for emotional reasons so that it doesn’t appear to the audience as an unplanned  departure. They should also have a discussion at the beginning of class or before a performance  to update their peers on topics that are too sensitive for them to confront during a scene. This  will not solve every issue as people may occasionally forget, or get too close to the subject, or it  might even be that the distressed performer did not even know that the discussion would  affect them emotionally. E.g.: Sally is playing a child and the information has been added by a fellow performer  that the child’s mother has died. Sally has recently experienced the loss of her mother and this  is not something which she was prepared to deal with on stage. Sally might signal to her  partner, perhaps waiving while saying something like “That reminds me, I forgot the (random  item).” Or “Oh no! I’m late for a meeting…” and then exiting the stage. Sally is not responsible  for justifying the change of subject. If the performers have an agreed upon signal, their stage  partners can quickly justify the choice for her. Something like this will allow the player to return  to stage if and when they are able to do so without unnecessarily disrupting the performance.  Under no circumstances is Sally required to return at any point after her departure if she  doesn’t feel that this is the safest option for her mental health.  

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Special Note on Reported Criminal Activity 

If any OKCI-affiliated person is accused by anyone of criminal activity that, in the eyes of OKCI  arises to a level beyond mere harassment as described above, and, in the judgment of OKCI,  places in doubt the safety of OKCI’s students, performers, faculty, staff, directors, vendors or  patrons, then the accused will be immediately and without investigation removed from all OKCI related activities until such time as OKCI is satisfied that the accusations are and were  unfounded. Should the accused appear at any OKCI-related activities or venues following this  removal, they will be considered to be a trespasser on OKCI property and OKCI will not hesitate  to call authorities to remove the accused from OKCI property. This revocation of OKCI privileges  will not be influenced by the failure of authorities to investigate or charge the accused with a  crime. The reinstatement of the accused to any OKCI-related activity or venue will be at the sole discretion of OKCI.  

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