The Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM) decided to modify its policy of confidentiality in the management of sexual harassment investigations, and will no longer apply the descent of the institution to whom it comes to reveal details of the internal process, following the publication of Political Animal that victims were made to sign a letter with such a warning.
The university issued a statement on Friday afternoon entitled “ITAM bluntly rejects threatening victims of harassment,” where it claims to hear the community’s feeling about sexual harassment protocol.
“The institution’s decision is to eliminate, from this moment on, the seventh, eighth and ninth paragraphs of the document ‘Commitment to Confidentiality’, which refer to possible sanctions and responsibilities to students, faculty and administrative staff who fail to comply with confidentiality,” he says.
ITAM reports: pic.twitter.com/O3BahWedFr
— ITAM (@ITAM_mx) September 25, 2020
In the seventh paragraph of the letter, which is the same for victims, aggressors and witnesses, the firm accepts that for non-compliance “I will become a creditor or creditor to a definitive termination of ITAM, or to a termination of my contract or agreement on the benefits of professional services”.
The eighth paragraph even cautioned that not complying with the agreement “may generate the responsibilities and reparations to which it takes place in accordance with the applicable legal provisions”. And on the ninth, the person pledged “to bring out it in peace and safety the ITAM, as well as its managers, officials, employees and collaborators”.
Read more: ITAM students protest removal of reporting clothesline; school asks to formally accuse
This Friday’s itAM release also reports that to date, no person had been desused or dismissed for this confidentiality commitment.
He also reiterated that it is only a question of keeping process information safe and that it applies to all involved, but “does not limit their freedom of expression about their feeling, thinking and experience.”
Finally, he noted that he was committed to protecting the entire community, especially students, teachers and women from administrative staff.
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