What is Sexual Harassment?
Sexual harassment is unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when:
- It is made either explicitly implicitly a term or condition of an individual's employment, education, living environment or participation in a University activity;
- Submission to or rejection of such conduct is used as the basis for or a factor in decisions affecting that individual's employment, education, living environment, or participation in a University activity; or
- Such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual's employment or educational performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work, education, or living environment, or participation in a University activity.
Examples of sexual harassment include but are not limited to:
- Suggestive or obscene letters, notes, invitations,
- Derogatory comments, epithets, slurs or jokes,
- Impeding or blocking movements, touching or any physical interference with normal work,
- Sexually oriented gestures, displaying sexually suggestive or derogatory objects, pictures, cartoons or posters (the situation will be evaluated for appropriateness such as art displayed in museums versus centerfold in office setting),
- Threats or insinuations that lack of sexual favors will result in reprisals, withholding support for appointments, promotions or transfers, change of assignments or poor performance reviews.
