Sexual Harassment
What is sexual harassment?
Sexual harassment can take many forms, from constant joking to physical
assault. It may involve threats that you will lose your job or that you will
fail in class. Sexual harassment often involves an abuse of power, such as
between a student and a teacher or an employee and a supervisor, but it can
also occur between people of equal rank. It can occur between men and women and
between people of the same gender. Anyone can be targeted for sexual
harassment, regardless of age, race, gender, physical characteristics, or
sexual identity.
Youngstown State University is committed to maintaining an environment free of sexual harassment. Sexual harassment will not be tolerated within the University community. In particular, supervisors (including faculty supervisors), managers, and executive and administrative officers, chairs, and executive directors/directors, are responsible for providing and maintaining an environment conducive to work and learning. Students, faculty, and staff can help by understanding and working to eliminate sexual harassment.
YSU's Policy Definition
Sexual harassment is a form of sex
discrimination and has been defined by the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission (EEOC) to be any unwelcome sexual advance, request for sexual
favors, or other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when it meets
any of the following:
- Submission is made an express or implied term or condition of employment or status in a class, program, or activity.
- Submission to or rejection of the behavior is used to make an employment or education decision (such as hiring, promotion, or a course grade).
- The conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonable interference with a person's work or educational performance or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment for work, learning or living on campus.
Examples
Sexual harassment may take many forms, including, but not limited to:
- The display of sexually oriented obscene printed or visual material (including through e-mail or Internet use or other electronic means).
- Sexual innuendo, suggestive sexual comments, notes or letters.
- Sexual comments or inappropriate references to gender.
- Sexually oriented kidding or other harassing acts or behavior directed against a person on the basis of an individual’s sex or sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression.
- Teasing or joking, sexually degrading or vulgar words.
- The display of sexually oriented obscene printed or visual material (including through e-mail or Internet use or other electronic means).
- Use of offensive gestures or body motions.
- Unwanted touching, patting, hugging, brushing against a person’s body or staring.
- Inquiries and commentaries about sexual activity, experience, or orientation.
If You Are Sexually Harassed
Learn more about your rights and responsibilities:
Find out more about university complaint procedures
regarding sexual harassment from the Office of Equal Opportunity &
Diversity. See also Guidelines for Investigating
Complaints of Discrimination and Harassment (http://www.ysu.edu/eod/harassment_guidelines.pdf**).
These guidelines provide specific information about University methods of
addressing complaints.
Seek information and Support:
You may feel a range of emotions from rage, to confusion, to helplessness, to
fear. Talking to someone often helps to lessen the isolation and may help you
develop strategies to remedy the situation.
Explore your formal and informal option.
Document the incidents.
Keep written or tape-recorded logs of dates, times, places, witnesses, and the nature of the harassment.
Talk with the harasser directly or write a letter to him or her.
Clearly recount the incidents in question and their impact on you, and demand that the behavior stop. Deliver the letter by certified mail or in person; keep a copy.
Talk to your co-workers and fellow students. Find out whether they or anyone else they know have been harassed by the same person. See if they will support you in your decision to take action.
Discuss your experience with a supervisor or any of the resource people in one of the offices listed below. They can further assist you in defining and remedying the situation.
- Contact the Office of Equal Opportunity & Diversity for an informal resolution or a formal investigation of the situation or if you wish to file a sexual harassment complaint.
- If you wish to take legal action, you may file a complaint with the Ohio Civil Rights Commission, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, or seek the advice of an attorney.
Ohio's laws against discrimination prohibit retaliation against a person who files a complaint of sexual harassment.
How You Can Help Prevent Sexual Harassment
Education is fundamental to the prevention of sexual harassment. The Office
of Equal Opportunity & Diversity provides educational programs and
materials on sexual harassment prevention to faculty, staff, and students on
campus.
You can help prevent incidents of sexual harassment by:
- Learning more about sexual harassment and your rights and responsibilities.
- Thinking about how your actions and words may affect the work/learning environment and self esteem of others.
- Supporting those who are targets of sexual harassment. Encourage them to take action. Offer yourself as a witness.
YSU Guidebook Policy on Harassment/Discrimination, Policy No. 2001.03: http://www.ysu.edu/guidebook/2001.03rev.pdf**
RESOURCES
For consultation and/or counseling:
- Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity, 330-941-3370
- Office of Human Resources, 330-941-3122
- The Equal Opportunity and Compliance Committee, 330-941-3370
- Office of Student Affairs through the Ombudsperson, 330-941-3571
- Office of Disability Services, 330-941-1372
- Office of Academic Affairs, 330-941-3103
- Office of Student Affairs, 330-941-3532
- Office of Career and Counseling Services, 330-941-3515
- Housing and Residence Life, 330-941-3547
