Sexual Harassment: Hostile Environment

Hostile Environment: The College considers a variety of factors related to the objective offensiveness, pervasiveness, and severity of the sex-based harassment, including:

(1) the type, frequency, and duration of the conduct;

(2) the identity and relationships of persons involved;

(3) the number of individuals involved;

(4) the location of the conduct and the context in which it occurred; and,

(5) the degree to which the conduct affected one’s employment or educational opportunities. Examples of behavior that might be considered hostile environment sexual harassment include, but are not limited to:

a. Unwanted sexual innuendo, propositions, sexual attention, or suggestive comments and gestures; inappropriate humor about sex or gender-specific traits; sexual slurs or derogatory language directed at another person’s sexuality, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or gender expression; insults and threats based on sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or gender expression; and other oral, written, or electronic communications of a sexual nature that an individual communicates is unwanted and unwelcome.

b. Written graffiti or the display or distribution of sexually explicit drawings, pictures, written materials; sexually charged name-calling; or the circulation, display, or creation of emails, text messages, or websites of a sexual nature.

c. Display, presentation, or circulation of materials or pictures degrading to an individual or gender group where such display is not directly related to academic freedom or to an educational/pedagogical, artistic, or work purpose. See Faculty Manual, Appendix B1, regarding academic freedom.

d. Unwelcome physical contact or suggestive body language, such as touching, patting, pinching, hugging, kissing, or brushing against an individual’s body.

e. Use of a position of power or authority to: (1) threaten or punish, either directly or by implication, for refusing to tolerate harassment, for refusing to submit to sexual activity, or for reporting harassment; or (2) promise rewards in return for sexual favors.

f. Acts of verbal, nonverbal, or physical aggression, intimidation, or hostility based on sex or sex stereotyping.

g. Sexual exploitation—taking sexual advantage of another person for the benefit of anyone other than that person, without that person’s consent. Examples of behavior that could rise to the level of sexual exploitation include prostituting another person or viewing, recording, or distributing another person’s sexual activity, intimate body parts, or the person in a state of undress, without their knowledge and consent.