Equal Opportunity Office: Sexual Harassment

Relevant Excerpt

What is sexual harassment?

Sexual harassment is unwelcome verbal, non-verbal or physical conduct based on sex, or on gender stereotypes, that is:

• Implicitly or explicitly, a term or condition of employment, or status in a course, program or activity; OR
• A basis for employment/educational decisions; OR
• Is sufficiently severe, persistent or pervasive to:
  • ​interfere with one’s work or educational performance; OR
  • create an intimidating, hostile or offensive work or learning environment; OR
  • interfere with or limit one’s ability to participate in or benefit from an institutional program or activity.

Examples of sexual harassment:

Unwelcome conduct that may constitute sexual harassment when sufficiently severe, persistent or pervasive includes, without limitation:

• Forced or coerced sex acts or relationships, including where a person is incapable of giving consent due to use of drugs or alcohol, sleep, disability, or being under the age of 16
• ​Non-consensual touching of another's body, including unwanted hugging or shoulder rubbing
• Sexual remarks, jokes, anecdotes or physical gestures
• Requests or propositions of a sexual nature
• Comments of a sexual nature (either complimentary or insulting) about a person’s physique, clothing, or sexual/romantic activity or preferences
• Non-consensual creation, use, display, or sharing of sexual images, video, text or objects
• Dating/domestic violence and stalking