PARTICIPANT PROTECTION POLICIES
Safety is our top priority at LSM.  Please review the policies below regarding participant protection and anonymous reporting.  

Definition:

• Participant: A performing member of LSM.

• Staff: A person who is engaged with LSM in an instructional or administrative capacity.

• Volunteer: A person who gives their time freely to LSM as a volunteer, or provides support in any capacity.  

 

1. LSM Performing Arts shall follow all laws of the State of Michigan, and the laws of the state(s) to which the organization travels.  In particular, all laws concerning the protection of participants in youth-serving organizations must be adhered to strictly. 
    

2. LSM shall obtain a national criminal background check for all adult administrative staff, instructional staff, and volunteers who have regular contact with, or authority over, participants.  Background checks shall be performed at the direction of the Executive Director, but in no event less than every two years. 
    

3. LSM shall require all adult administrative staff, instructional staff, and participants to complete abuse prevention training.  All adults subject to this policy must complete the U.S. Center for SafeSport’s Core Center for SafeSport Training before regular contact with participants begins, or within the first 45 days of beginning a new role with LSM, whichever occurs first. 
    

4. LSM shall disseminate these policies concerning participant protection to all its leaders, staff, and participants, and shall ensure that its leaders and staff adhere to these policies.  Additionally, LSM will have these policies posted publicly at www.lsmperformingarts.com/participantprotection
    

5. LSM has the responsibility to respond to all complaints or reports of policy violations by conducting an effective internal investigation, reporting the matter to the appropriate external authorities as may be necessary, and taking appropriate and effective remedial action under the circumstances. 
    

6. LSM defines misconduct as follows:

   • Any misconduct of a sexual nature or potentially classifiable as a sex offense under applicable local, state, and federal law, including without limitation so-called “victimless” activities such as prostitution, pornography, and indecent exposure. 

      

   • Any misconduct to which actual or suggested sexual relations is an element. 

      

   • Any harassing conduct pertaining to, in whole or in part, an individual’s sex, gender, sexual orientation, or gender expression; and

      

   • Any conduct involving harm to a minor. 

      

7. If any LSM staff member receives any information of any kind (oral or written, “informal” or “formal”) suggesting that misconduct has occurred that is connected in any way to individuals or activities associated with LSM, and if the suggested misconduct meets any of the definitions of misconduct in Section 6, they are expected to immediately report the information to the Executive Director.  From there, LSM will inform WGI of the information in writing immediately to the extent local, state, and federal privacy laws allow. 
    

8. Anonymous reporting will always be available at www.lsmperformingarts.com/participantprotection