All individuals, including third parties1, are encouraged to immediately report if they experience, observe, or become aware of any behavior they believe may be in violation of this policy. Proof or direct knowledge of such behaviors or incidents is not necessary to submit a report. Reports can be filed regardless of whether anyone objected to or directly addressed the behavior.
Sacred Spaces requires its Board Members and all Supervisors to non-anonymously report possible harassment, misconduct, or prohibited behaviors that they hear about, observe, suspect, or otherwise become aware of. These individuals may not ignore or fail to report conduct that violates or may violate this policy. See Prohibited Conduct section.
Any supervisor receiving information that indicates a possible violation of this policy is required to report that information to a member of the Case Handling team, who will consult with an internal partner and/or external expert consultant to determine appropriate next steps. The identity of the individual making the report, and other information, will be disclosed only as necessary to address the report.
The Case Handling team is comprised of the following LEADERS:
Shira Berkovits (she/her)President and CEO (646) 481-1088 |
Lauren Litton (she/her)Vice President of Consulting Services (216) 236-4349 |
Michelle Friedman (she/her)Board Chair BoardChair@jewishsacredspaces.org (202)-656-4349 |
Sacred Spaces welcomes and encourages reporting in whatever format is most comfortable and accessible for the individual making the report. A report can be made in person, over the phone or via a video call, by sending an email, or by completing a reporting form. The reporting form can be found here and may be completed electronically or printed.
A report can be made to any staff person with supervisory responsibilities – whether or not they are your supervisor, board chair (boardchair@jewishsacredspaces.org | (202)-656-4349), or Sacred Spaces’ case handling team (reporting@jewishsacredspaces.org). If an employee is uncomfortable reporting to the individuals designated in this policy, they may report their concerns to any board member.
Those designated to receive reports will be trained annually on receiving and responding to reports.
Yes. Sacred Spaces affirms that individuals may want to submit a report anonymously; therefore, we provide an option to do so. An anonymous report will be evaluated in the same manner as a report with an identified complainant. In order to give full and fair consideration to a report, Sacred Spaces may conduct interviews or engage in processes that could identify an anonymous reporter. Though we cannot guarantee complete confidentiality, we will make every effort to ensure that information is shared only on a need-to-know basis for the purposes of an assessment or investigation.
If you prefer to submit a report anonymously, you may do so online or send it to 5915 Beacon Street, Pittsburgh, PA, 15217 CONFIDENTIAL ATTN _____ . (Please note that using this option may result in delayed receipt). The more information and detail you are able to provide, the more effective we can be in our follow up.
Retaliation2 is prohibited against anyone for making a good faith report about a perceived violation of our policy. If you believe you may have experienced or witnessed retaliatory behavior after reporting, please know that this behavior is a violation of our policy and may be reported in the same manner, described above.
In addition to notifying Sacred Spaces about your concerns, you may wish to seek support and information from external organizations. For additional supportive resources and external reporting agencies, see here.
1 Third-party reports: Third-party reports are those brought forward by an individual who is not directly involved. For example, a supervisor might report an overheard conversation between two individuals who witnessed an incident of discrimination, a staff person may observe harassing behavior between individuals, or a consultant may observe discriminatory remarks towards an individual.
2 Retaliation is the imposition of negative consequences on someone who has reported, assisted in the investigation of, or otherwise taken action to identify or address prohibited behavior. Protection against retaliation extends to everyone participating in a complaint: the complainant, the witnesses, those conducting the investigation, and those deciding how to address misconduct. Importantly, when related to a report, retaliation is independent of the outcome of an investigation. If someone reports conduct because they believe it is a violation of policy or law, but an investigation finds otherwise, the complainant, witnesses, and others involved are still protected from reprisal.