2008 Woodie Awards
Sexual harassment includes gray areas
Number two in two-part Ranger series
Brittani Wray and Dustin Ward
Issue date: 9/28/06 Section: News
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Sexual harassment can take on many forms. Realizing and accepting the problem are the first steps to resolving the issue. But in order to understand the issue, students need to know how to identify what harassment is.
Sexual Harassment Support (http://www.sexualharassmentsupport.org) defines sexual harassment as "unwanted or unwelcome behavior, or attention, of a sexual nature that interferes with your life."
That definition leaves room for a lot of gray area, which can make it difficult for a student to decide whether there is a problem.
The Office for Civil Rights online (http://www.ed.gov/offices/list/ocr/docs/ocrshpam.html) gives several examples of sexual harassment, including "sexual advances, touching of a sexual nature, sexual gestures, sexual or 'dirty' jokes, pressure for sexual favors, touching oneself sexually or talking about one's sexual activity in front of other and spreading rumors about or rating other students as to sexual activity or performance."
Ethics also play a big role in deciding what qualifies as harassment, and if the problem relates to the school environment, such as a case where an employee and a student or other employee enter into a relationship.
"It would certainly be unethical for a faculty member, male or female, to be involved romantically with a student in one of their classes," said Lynn Thornton, director of administrative services and human resources. "Whether or not it's ethical for a faculty member and a student who is not in his or her class to enter into some kind of relationship is that person's decision."
Sexual harassment is not limited to the campus's boundaries. If a faculty member approaches a student or another employee away from work, there still can be an issue.
"If it impacts working conditions, yes," Thornton said. "Even if it's away from the job, if it makes the employee or student uncomfortable to come to work or class, then it becomes an issue."
Faculty members or other employees also can be subject to sexual harassment and are required to do a small amount of training regarding the issue as well as study section DH of the board of regents' policies, which outlines sexual harassment, among other topics.
Sexual Harassment Support (http://www.sexualharassmentsupport.org) defines sexual harassment as "unwanted or unwelcome behavior, or attention, of a sexual nature that interferes with your life."
That definition leaves room for a lot of gray area, which can make it difficult for a student to decide whether there is a problem.
The Office for Civil Rights online (http://www.ed.gov/offices/list/ocr/docs/ocrshpam.html) gives several examples of sexual harassment, including "sexual advances, touching of a sexual nature, sexual gestures, sexual or 'dirty' jokes, pressure for sexual favors, touching oneself sexually or talking about one's sexual activity in front of other and spreading rumors about or rating other students as to sexual activity or performance."
Ethics also play a big role in deciding what qualifies as harassment, and if the problem relates to the school environment, such as a case where an employee and a student or other employee enter into a relationship.
"It would certainly be unethical for a faculty member, male or female, to be involved romantically with a student in one of their classes," said Lynn Thornton, director of administrative services and human resources. "Whether or not it's ethical for a faculty member and a student who is not in his or her class to enter into some kind of relationship is that person's decision."
Sexual harassment is not limited to the campus's boundaries. If a faculty member approaches a student or another employee away from work, there still can be an issue.
"If it impacts working conditions, yes," Thornton said. "Even if it's away from the job, if it makes the employee or student uncomfortable to come to work or class, then it becomes an issue."
Faculty members or other employees also can be subject to sexual harassment and are required to do a small amount of training regarding the issue as well as study section DH of the board of regents' policies, which outlines sexual harassment, among other topics.
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