Workplace Violence

The Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) and Coastal Pines Technical College are committed to providing all employees, students, volunteers, visitors, vendors and contractors a safe and secure workplace and/or academic setting free of intimidating, threatening, or violent behavior. Specifically, violent acts, threats (direct or implied), unlawful harassment, verbal or physical abuse, stalking, intimidation, and other disruptive behavior, language or communication in any form (including by telephone, facsimile electronic mail, written communication or social media) are expressly prohibited.

No employee, student, volunteer, visitor, vendor, or contractor shall engage in prohibited behavior or conduct against another individual at CPTC (including a satellite campus/location) or at any sanctioned off-site function.

A student, who believes that he/she has been subject to workplace violence should report the matter immediately to a CPTC administrator or Police Chief via an electronic version of the Workplace Violence Incident Reporting Form located on the CPTC website.

Any CPTC student who engages in prohibited behavior shall be subject to disciplinary action up to and including expulsion consistent with the provisions/guidelines of CPTC’s Student Code of Conduct.

Examples of prohibited behavior include, but are not limited to:

  • physically menacing/threatening behavior or gestures which convey a threat. NOTE: threats of violence will not be excused on the grounds that they were made in “jest” or in a “joking” manner.
  • unlawful harassment, including ethnic, racial, or sexual epithets;
  • physical attack/assault with or without a weapon;
  • fighting and/or physical altercations, including any “fighting” that may be characterized as “horseplay”;
  • stalking;
  • direct or implied verbal threats or abusive, intimidating, or obscene language;
  • intentional damage to TCSG property;
  • intentional damage to the personal property of an employee, student, volunteers, visitor, vendor, or contractor; or,
  • possession of a weapon on technical college property when such possession violates the provisions of O.C.G.A.§ 16-11-127.1 and State Board Policy 3.3.10.

Students should remain alert to and be familiar with their surroundings to better recognize potentially serious situations. Many acts of targeted workplace violence are preceded by direct or indirect threats; therefore, all threats must be taken seriously and should be reported as soon as possible.

Any complaint registered against a CPTC student regarding a potential violation of this procedure will be investigated consistent with the provisions of CPTC’s Student Disciplinary Procedure. Procedure 4.3.3p (III.X.): Workplace Violence may be accessed at https://tcsg.edu/tcsgpolicy/tcsg_policy_manual.pdf.