(Via Milinet)
= N E W S R E L E A S E
=
= OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
= (PUBLIC AFFAIRS)
= WASHINGTON, D.C. 20301
=
= PLEASE NOTE DATE
====================================================
No. 432-00
(703)695-0192(media)
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 21, 2000
(703)697-5737(public/industry)
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE ISSUES
ANTI-HARASSMENT GUIDELINES
Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen received and
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Jul2000/memo20000721.pdf
the Department of Defense working group's
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Jul2000/plan20000721.htm to eliminate all forms of harassment today. As recommended in
the plan,
the Department adopted an "overarching principle" that
emphasizes that
harassment for any reason undermines good order and discipline
and has no
place in the armed forces.
In addition, the Department intends to adopt the rest of the
13-point "action
plan" that focuses needed attention on the problems of
mistreatment generally
and harassment of alleged or perceived homosexuals in
particular. The plan
ensures that commanders are ultimately responsible for training
personnel on
the Department's anti-harassment policies and holding
accountable harassers
and those who tolerate harassment. It also clearly states that
information
regarding sexual orientation is never necessary for a harassment
complaint to
be taken seriously. In that regard, it encourages the Services
to teach all
personnel, especially supervisors, that persons who receive such
complaints
must not ask about sexual orientation and persons who report
harassment ought
not disclose such information. Everyone must also be trained to
understand
the consequences of violating these principles.
A Department-wide directive will be issued outlining the key
tenets of the
overarching principle. It will emphasize that mistreatment,
harassment and
inappropriate comments or gestures, including those based on
sexual
orientation, are not acceptable.
Training and its effectiveness also featured prominently in the
working
group's deliberations and recommendations. One new initiative
is the action
plan's requirement that the Services must review their training
programs
annually to ensure they contain all information required by law
and policy.
It also requires them to tailor their programs to their
audiences. To
measure training effectiveness and compliance with DoD policy,
the Services
will be required to ensure feedback or reporting mechanisms are
in place to
measure knowledge, behavior, and climate.
Under Secretary of the Air Force Carol DiBattiste chaired the
working group
which was established by Cohen on March 24, 2000, to examine the
findings of
a Department of Defense Inspector General report on harassment
of military
personnel who are alleged or perceived to be homosexual. The
group was
comprised of senior civilian and military officials from each
Service who met
regularly for four months to consider such issues as eliminating
mistreatment, harassment, and inappropriate comments or
gestures; training;
reporting of harassment; enforcement of policies prohibiting
harassment; and
measurement of anti-harassment program effectiveness.
In the course of its review, the working group requested and
reviewed public
comment, information on individual Service anti-harassment
efforts, and
briefings on the DoD survey from the DoD Inspector General and
principles of
behavior from the Behavioral Science Faculty at the U.S.
Military Academy.
At Secretary Cohen's request, it also considered the Army
Inspector General
report of investigation into PVT Winchell's death. The working
group's
recommendations address problems regarding harassment identified
in the Army
report.
-END-
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