Policy Statements

Relevant excerpt

Sexual harassment is any unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal, written, visual, or physical conduct of a sexual nature when one or more of the following occur: … Such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work or academic performance or equal opportunity to participate in or benefit from college employment, programs or activities. That is, the conduct is sufficiently serious, pervasive or persistent as to create an intimidating, hostile, humiliating, demeaning, or sexually offensive working, academic, residential, or social environment under both a subjective and an objective standard.

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Examples of conduct that may constitute sexual harassment as defined above may include a severe, persistent or pervasive pattern of unwelcome conduct that includes one or more of the following: …

b. Verbal conduct
• Making or using derogatory comments, epithets, slurs or humor;
• Verbal abuse of a sexual nature, graphic verbal commentaries about an individual’s body, sexually degrading words used to describe an individual, suggestive or obscene letters, notes or invitations;
• Objectively offensive comments of a sexual nature, including persistent or pervasive sexually explicit statements, questions, jokes, or anecdotes;

c. Visual or non-verbal conduct
• Leering, making sexual gestures, displaying of suggestive objects or pictures, cartoons or posters in a public space or forum;
• Severe, persistent, or pervasive visual displays of suggestive, erotic, or degrading sexually oriented images that are not pedagogically appropriate; and

d. Written conduct
• Letters, notes or electronic communications containing comments, words, or images described above.

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