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First Unitarian Society of Madison
Safe Congregation Team

WHAT IS A SAFE CONGREGATION?

A safe congregation is one in which those who participate in the religious community—members, guests, ministers, and employees—are free to engage in activities and explore ideas and beliefs without fear or concern for their physical and emotional well being. It is a congregation that strives to uphold all of the UU Purposes and principles, and most specifically the following three:
• The inherent worth and dignity of every person;
• Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;
• Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations

WHY DOES FUS HAVE A SAFE CONGREGATION TEAM?

Openness to a wide variety of individuals is one of the prime values held by our congregation and expressed in our Purposes and Principles. First Unitarian Society of Madison is committed to promoting a safe and welcoming environment that is supportive of personal and spiritual growth. For most people, and for most of our history, this acceptance of the diverse needs, styles, and opinions of the people who enter our doors has enriched our community. Because seriously harmful or disruptive behavior is rare in our community, we have been unprepared to respond effectively when it has happened. In November 2002, the First Unitarian Society Board of Trustees adopted a Safe Congregation Policy.

This policy focuses on two issues that may arise in the course of our relationships and interactions with each other:
• Sexual misconduct, harassment, and abuse by members of the FUS community against other members of the FUS community
• Disruptive behavior that threatens an individual’s physical and/or emotional well-being or freedom to safely express his or her beliefs or opinions.

The work of the Board and the Safe Congregation Team has been informed by efforts of the Unitarian Universalist Association and several congregations around the country.

WHAT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY AND PURPOSE OF THE TEAM?

The Safe Congregation Team is available to anyone in our faith community who has concerns about incidents that cause them to feel unsafe while on the grounds of First Unitarian Society, or while participating in activities sponsored by First Unitarian Society.

It is neither the goal of the Board nor the role of the Safe Congregation Team to prevent or curtail the fervent expression of ideas and points of view. Passionate challenging of another’s beliefs, strong philosophical disagreements, personality conflicts, and even people simply not being nice to each other occur as a part of normal, every day life. As defined by the Board, the Safe Congregation Team enters only in those narrowly defined situations that involve actual or threatened harassment, abuse, intimidation, or seriously disruptive behavior that threatens the wellbeing of our religious community.

WHO IS ON THE TEAM? HOW IS THE TEAM CHOSEN?

The team is comprised of the Parish Minister, and four members of the congregation. The Church Administrator serves the committee in an advisory (ex officio) capacity. The four lay members are appointed by the Board, and include a member of the Board of Trustees, and three others. Members are selected for their commitment to First Society, and their ability to confidentially and objectively address issues of the serious nature that will come to the team. Members of the team recognize the sensitive nature of the issues that come before the committee, and are committed to conducting the work of the committee in a way that supports and strengthens the ability of our community to meet the needs of all its members.

HOW DOES A COMPLAINT INVESTIGATION GET STARTED?

The initial contact:
Anyone – a member of the staff, the congregation, or the community – can bring an issue to any member of the Safe Congregation Team (SCT). The SCT member will have a conversation to get basic information that will allow the Team to determine whether the complaint falls within the scope of the SCT:
• Possible sexual abuse, harassment or misconduct internal to the FUS community
• Possible disruptive behavior that is perceived as a threat to the safety of any adult or child, or that seriously disrupts congregational activities and participation.

If it appears to the SCT member that the issue clearly is or may be within the charge of the SCT, the SCT member gives the person making the complaint a copy of the complaint form, and asks that it be returned to the SCT member within 7 days. This complaint form describes the actions or incidents leading to the complaint, identifies the person or group against whom the complaint is made, and identifies witnesses to any incidents that occurred.

Urgent action: Immediate action will be taken in the event of a threat to physical safety of anyone on the grounds of First Unitarian Society, or participating in activities under the auspices of the Society.

Referral: Not all issues fall within the scope of the SCT. If the team member is confident that the issue doesn’t meet SCT guidelines, s/he will provide referral and follow-up with a phone call to assist the person with the next step. S/he will report this contact to the SCT at its next regular meeting.

MEDIATION

Mediation will always be offered as an alternative to a complaint investigation. Principles guiding mediation are as follows:
• Members of the SCT will be trained in the conduct of mediation
• The goal of mediation is to come to an understanding, agreement, or solution that is acceptable to the complaining and responding parties.
• Both parties must agree to participate in mediation in order for mediation to be an option.
• Mediation must be completed with 20 working days of the election to mediate.
• If mediation is successful, there will be a written agreement signed by both parties, with a copy of the agreement to each.
• If mediation is successful, the original complaint form and the agreement will be filed in a confidential file in the minister’s office, to be kept for 3 years. All other materials will be shredded.
• If mediation is not successful (no agreement, or either party refuses to continue) and the complainant wishes to pursue the complaint, the SCT will decide whether to do an investigation. If an investigation is conducted, new SCT members will be responsible for the investigation.

THE COMPLAINT PROCESS

The following are the steps that will be followed if the SCT undertakes an investigation of a complaint.

1. Who conducts the investigation? Within 5 days of the time that a member of the SCT receives the complaint form, the SCT will meet to determine who will be involved:
• If not staff or minister, 2 SCT members
• If staff, the supervisor, Church administrator, a lay member of SCT, and minister
• If a minister, a member of the SCT, Board President, and Chair of the Committee on Ministry

If any of those parties are named in the complaint, they will not, of course, be a part of the team that conducts the investigation.

2. Who does the SCT talk to about the complaint? The investigating SCT members will conduct interviews of the complainant, respondent, and any witnesses identified by either party. Interviews will be done on forms developed by the Safe Congregation Team.

3. Who gets to read what people say when they are interviewed? The respondent will have the opportunity to see and read the complaint form filled out by the complainant (but will not receive a copy). Only members of the SCT and those responsible for conducting the investigation will see the interview notes.

4. Who knows that a complaint is occurring? The Team is committed to confidential and sensitive management of the complaint. Our purpose in conducting interviews is to attempt to get all sides of the picture. We will not discuss the complaint and its specifics except with members of the SCT and the investigation team.

5. How long does it take? The investigating SCT members will make every attempt to complete the investigation within two weeks of the original report, and to present findings and recommendations to a meeting of the SCT within three weeks of the original report.

6. How are decisions made about the validity of the complaint? The investigating SCT members will draft a final report which summarizes the complaint and the response. The report will contain the following:

a. A summary of the complaint
b. A chronology of steps taken in the investigation
c. A summary of factual findings, including the important facts that the investigator believes supports his/her conclusions, if any.

Note: In the case of employees, although the investigator may draw conclusions as to whether harassment occurred or did not occur, the report should not make any recommendations of actions to be taken by the employer.

7. What actions can the SCT take?
It is the task of the SCT to conduct the investigation and, where necessary, make a recommendation to the president of the Board of Trustees. If the SCT determines that no disciplinary action is involved, the team will close the file and provide the president with a summary report that does not contain the names of individuals involved.

If the SCT is recommending an action by the Board, the report will be made to the whole Board by the SCT member currently sitting on the Board, and will, if necessary, contain the names of the individuals involved.

8. What actions can the Board take?
The specific action taken by the Board will depend on a number of factors, including the level of dangerousness and disruptiveness, an understanding of the history and causes of the behavior, and the probability of change. Examples of actions that might be taken are:
• Gaining an understanding and agreement that the problem will stop;
• Excluding the individual from certain specific activities for a period of time, with the reasons and conditions of return made clear;
• Involvement of law enforcement, where required
• Permanent exclusion from the premises and all congregational activities

Individuals affected have a right to petition the Board for a hearing, and the Board will re-convene within thirty days to consider the petition.

9. What happens to the forms and information collected during a complaint?
Interviews, notes, and other materials collected during the investigation will be held in a locked file under the control of the parish minister for a period of three years.