Behavior

• Indecent Conduct: lewd, inappropriate, or indecent conduct; or distribution of obscene or libelous written or electronic material.
• Violence: physical abuse of any person (including dating violence, domestic violence, or sexual violence) on Technical College Premises or at Technical College-sponsored or Technical College-supervised functions, including physical actions which threaten or endanger the health or safety of any such persons. This includes fighting and/or other disruptive behavior, which includes any action or threat of violence which endangers the peace, safety, or orderly function of the Technical College, its facilities, or persons engaged in the business of the Technical College. Note: certain physical abuse may also be considered unlawful harassment.
•  Harassment: Athens Technical College prohibits unlawful conduct based on race, color, creed, national or ethnic origin, sex, religion, disability, age,
  genetic information, political affirmation or belief, disabled veteran, a veteran of the Vietnam Era, or citizenship status addressed directly to any individual or group that has the purpose or effect of unreasonably and objectively interfering with that individual or group's: (1) performance, (2) work or educational environment or (3) ability to participate in an educational program or activity. The Technical College also prohibits stalking or other behavior which objectively and unreasonably interferes with another's legal rights or creates an objectively intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment. (This also includes the display of or navigation to pornography and other inappropriate websites and materials and inappropriate behavior on social media and/or networking
  applications.) Impermissible harassment may include verbal, non-verbal, and/or physical conduct.
• Threat/Threaten: a statement of an intention to inflict pain, injury, damage, or other hostile action on someone in retribution for something done or not done.
• Disruption: prohibits activities not otherwise protected by law, including the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America, which intentionally obstructs or interrupts teaching, research, administration, disciplinary proceedings, or other Technical College activities, including public service functions and other duly authorized activities on Technical College Premises or at Technical College-sponsored activity sites.
• Failure to Comply: Failure to comply with lawful directions of Technical College officials and/or failure to identify oneself to these persons when requested.
• Bullying: any pattern of gestures or written, electronic or verbal communications, or any physical act or any threatening communication that takes place on College premises or at any College sponsored function that: (a) places a person in actual and reasonable fear of harm to their person or damage to their property; or (b) creates or is certain to create a hostile environment by substantially interfering with or impairing a student’s educational performance, opportunities or benefits, or a College employee’s ability to perform the essential functions of their job.
• Hazing: Any intentional, knowing or reckless act committed by a person (whether individually or in concert with other persons) against another person or persons regardless of the willingness of such other person or persons to participate, that (1) Is committed in the course of an initiation into, an affiliation with or the maintenance of membership in, a student organization; and (2) causes or creates a risk, above the reasonable risk encountered in the course of participation in the College or the organization (such as the physical preparation necessary for participation in an athletic team) of physical or psychological injury including:
  • whipping, beating, striking, electronic shocking, placing of a harmful substance on someone’s body or similar activity;
  • causing, coercing, or otherwise inducing sleep deprivation, exposure to the elements, confinement in a small space, extreme calisthenics or other similar activity;
  • causing, coercing, or otherwise inducing another person to consume food, liquid, alcohol, drugs or other substances;
  • causing, coercing or otherwise inducing another person to perform sexual acts;
  • any activity that places another person in reasonable fear of bodily harm through the use of threatening words or conduct;
  • any activity against another person that includes a criminal violation of local, State, Tribal or Federal law; and
  • any activity that induces, causes or requires another person to perform a duty or task that involves a criminal violation of local, State, Tribal or Federal law.
• Use of Social Media and Chat Platforms: Students should obey their social media platform terms of use. Students may not make, or cause to be made, communications (including electronically or through social media) to another person in any manner to harass or cause alarm. Social media may not be used to breach privacy, discriminate, or harass/threaten. Students may not make, transmit, or attempt to transmit audio or video of any person(s) on College property where there is an explicit expectation of privacy. Any posts or tweets deemed inappropriate on a Technical College’s social web site or blog will be deleted immediately and may result in having access to the site blocked permanently.