Middlebury College Handbook: Non-Discrimination Investigations & Resolutions Procedure

Relevant Excerpt

Harassment is defined as verbal, written, visual, or physical conduct based on or motivated by an individual's actual or perceived race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and related medical conditions), gender, gender identity, gender expression, age (over 40), sexual orientation, or military and veteran status of any person and/or any other status or characteristic as defined and to the extent protected by law in the location where a particular program is operating, that has the purpose or effect, from the point of view of a reasonable person, of objectively and substantially:

1. undermining and detracting from or interfering with an individual's educational or work performance or access to Middlebury resources; or
2. creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive educational, work, or living environment.

Harassment may include but is not limited to:

1. Verbal harassment, e.g., epithets, derogatory comments or slurs on a basis enumerated in the above;
2. Physical harassment, e.g., assault, impeding or blocking movement, or any physical interference with normal work or movement, when directed at an individual on a basis enumerated above;
3. Visual forms of harassment, e.g., derogatory posters, cartoons, or drawings on a basis enumerated above; or
4. Sexual favors, e.g., unwanted sexual advances, which condition an employment benefit upon an exchange of sexual favors.