Policy:     Harassment, Sexual: General
Authority:   Executive Team
Contact:     Tracy Simms, 463-5889                           simmst@lanecc.edu

Lane Community College Statement of Institutional Commitment

Sexual harassment is a breach of professional ethics and a violation of federal and state legislation as well as college policy.  It debases the work place and the classroom environment and demoralizes all who come into contact with it.  It is coercive, manipulative and threatening, creating an atmosphere that is not conducive to learning, teaching or working.

Lane Community College reaffirms its commitment to eliminate all sexual harassment, to provide an environment that is respectful of the dignity of all employees and students, to inform all members of the college community about sexual harassment and sex discrimination and to provide sanctions for harassing behavior.

What Is Sexual Harassment?

Sexual harassment is sexual or gender based behavior that negatively affects an individual's employment or educational progress or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive environment for the individual.  While sexual harassment usually involves repeated behavior, in some instances it can consist of an action that occurs only once.

Sexual harassment can be verbal, physical, or visual, and can take many forms.  It can be overt, suggesting that a sexual favor will be rewarded, or it can consist of persistent, unwanted attempts to change a professional relationship into a personal one.  Above all, sexual harassment is primarily an issue of power, not sex.

Sexual harassment can involve someone in authority but also happens between peers.  It can also involve co-workers or students.  It can occur between same sex as well as opposite sex individuals.  Sexual harassment may include:
 

telling sexual jokes;
making unwelcome sexual advances;
making offensive sexual or gender based comments;
making sexual gestures;
displaying sexual or other offensive visual material such as posters, graffiti, cartoons, and email;
subjecting someone to unwanted sexual attention;
attempting to coerce someone into a sexual relationship;
punishing or threatening to punish someone for refusal to comply;
pinching, touching, grabbing; or
implying that sexual favors may be a basis for performance evaluation or for grades in a course.

What About Dating My Students or Employees I supervise?

Although your personal relationship with a student or an employee may not start out as sexual harassment, it can quickly become that in the mind of the other person if the relationship ends badly.  The college cannot prohibit such contacts if they take place off campus or outside of office hours.  However, amorous relationships between college faculty and students who are either enrolled in their classes, or subject to their direct supervision or with whom the faculty member has any contact whatsoever which involves the college, are strongly discouraged because of the many problems inherent in such situations.  Similarly, amorous relationships between managers or supervisors and the employees under their supervision are also strongly discouraged.  Any such relationship carried on or taking place on campus or during any college sponsored activity is prohibited.

Off-campus relationships should be treated with great concern and caution and the employee is specifically advised that he or she will be held responsible if conduct which is deemed sexual harassment occurs.  Faculty and supervisory relationships involve the exercise of power, whether in giving praise or criticism, evaluating or making recommendations.  When a person in a position of authority enters into an amorous relationship with a person over whom he or she has power, the boundary between the personal relationship and the professional relationship is blurred, creating confusion and problems for both parties, as well as for other students, faculty, and staff who become aware of the relationship.  The college is not in a position to prohibit such relationships, if voluntary.  The employee is, however, specifically warned that voluntary consent in such a relationship is suspect given the fundamentally unequal nature of the relationship.  The conduct of the faculty member, manager or other employee will be carefully scrutinized and individuals will be held accountable for any harassment if it occurs.  Sexual harassment will not be tolerated at Lane Community College.

What Are the Penalties for Sexual Harassment at Lane?

Once the college investigates and finds that sexual harassment has taken place, it will act to correct and remedy the situation, taking care to fit the remedy to the individual offense.  If the alleged harassing conduct is not sufficiently severe or pervasive to be judged a violation of this policy, the college may still take action to address the complainant’s
concerns and ensure a respectful environment.

Remedies can range from verbal warnings to termination of employment based on the nature of the incident, the offender's history and the context of the offense.  Penalties may include, but are not limited to, the following: verbal reprimand, written reprimand, suspension with pay, suspension without pay, termination of employment.

Sexual Harassment Complaints

Management supervisors are responsible for immediate and appropriate action when allegations of sexual harassment are made known to that manager.  Faculty may also be viewed as agents of the college and held responsible if they know of sexually harassing behavior and ignore it.  When allegations become known to the supervisor, they must respond to them and ensure that complainants have access to the college’s sexual harassment complaint procedure.  Managers also have the responsibility to see that sexual harassment complaints or allegations are addressed even if the complainant chooses not to file a formal complaint.  Failure to address these allegations can lead to serious consequences for both the institution and the individual manager.  Questions about the dealing with sexual harassment and the complaint process can be referred to the director of the Women's Program or Human Resources.

If the complainant does not make the supervisor aware of the allegations and seeks relief outside the department through the formal sexual harassment complaint process, the supervisor will be notified (see Harassment, Sexual: Formal Complaint Process).

See also Board Policy D.020.