Transcript Preventing Sexual Harassment

Gender Discrimination and
Sexual Harassment
Awareness
2014
Agenda
 What is gender discrimination?
 What is sexual harassment?
 Why it is important to prevent gender
discrimination?

OSU policy
 Responsibilities of OSU employees
 Retaliation
What is Gender Discrimination?

Gender discrimination includes all forms of sex
discrimination, including sexual harassment and
sexual violence by employees, students or third
parties against employees, students or third
parties.

Sex discrimination also includes unequal pay
based on gender, discrimination on the basis of
pregnancy, unequal distribution of athletic funds,
and unequal admissions and financial aid
practices.
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 mandated that:
“No person in the United States, shall on the ground
of race, color or national origin, be excluded from
participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be
Subjected to discrimination any program or activity receiving federal funds.”
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.SC. Sec. 2000e-(a))
Prohibits discrimination in the terms, conditions or privileges of employment
on the basis of an employee’s sex, race, ethnicity or religion
Title IX of the Education Amendment s of 1972
“No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded
from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to
discrimination under any education program or activity receiving
Federal financial assistance.”
What is Sexual Harassment?
 Unwelcome sexual advances
 Requests for sexual favors
 Other verbal or physical
conduct of a sexual nature that
affects an individuals’
employment, unreasonably
interferes with his/her work
performance, or creates an
intimidating, hostile or offensive
work environment
Two Forms of Sexual Harassment
 Quid Pro Quo
 This for that or something for something
 Hostile work environment
Quid Pro Quo
 Employment decisions/expectations are based on
employee’s submission to or rejection of sexual
advances, requests for sexual favors, or other
behavior of a sexual nature
 Employment decisions/expectations-hiring,
promotion, salary increase, shift or work
assignments, performance standards, etc.
Examples
 Employer offers the employee a promotion in exchange for a
sexual favor
 Making work assignments conditional upon the sexual request
 Threatening to terminate the employee if they do not participate
Employer uses position as leverage in order to intimidate the
worker into complying with the request.
Hostile Work Environment
 Speech or conduct that is severe and/or pervasive
enough to create an abusive or hostile work
environment
 Created by a boss or coworker whose
discriminatory actions, communication or behavior
make doing your job impossible
Examples
 Unwanted jokes, gestures, offensive
words on clothing, and unwelcome comments
 Touching and any other bodily contact such as scratching or patting a
coworker’s back, grabbing an employee around the waist, or interfering
with an employee’s ability to move
 Repeated requests for dates that are turned down or unwanted flirting
 Displaying sexually suggestive objects, pictures, or posters
 Playing sexually suggestive music
How Can I Tell if
I Have Crossed the Line?
Comfort Zones
People have different confront zones
for different relationships, different
environments; and different
circumstances.
Degree of Offensiveness
 Offensive
“You really fill out that outfit”
 Possibly Offensive
“You look great in that outfit”
 Almost Never Offensive
“What a beautiful suit”
Who Can Be Involved in Sexual Harassment
 Employees at all levels, customers, members of the
same sex
 Those who are targeted-victims, bystanders and, in
some cases, witnesses who are affected by the
harassment
Consensual
Relationships
 No OSU policy prohibiting
 Relationships the parties view as
consensual may appear to others
to be exploitative
 May create conflicts of interest
Rape and Sexual Assault:
A Renewed Call To Action
The White House Council on Women and Girls
 1 in 5 (@ 22million) women
are raped in their lifetime

1 in 71 (@1.6 million) men
are raped in their lifetime
 98 % of perpetrators are male

1 in 5 college females are
sexually assaulted while
attending school.

Most victims know their
perpetrator

President established a
White House Task Force To
Protect Students From
Sexual Assault
 College students are
particularly vulnerable
 Campus assailants are often
serial offenders
 Rape reporting rates are low
Sexual Harassment and Title IX
Sexual Harassment is unwelcome conduct of a sexual
nature that includes, but is not limited to:
 sexual violence; sexual advances; requests for sexual
favors; indecent exposure; and other verbal,
nonverbal or physical unwelcome conduct of a
sexual nature, where such conduct is sufficiently
severe, persistent or pervasive
 When a hostile environment is created…
Sexual Harassment can occur
anywhere on or off campus
Among students reporting
harassment:
39% were in dorm or student housing
37% were outside on campus grounds
24% were in common areas of campus
20% were in classrooms
27% were “somewhere else”
12% were unsure where they were
harassed
Why It Is Important to Prevent
Gender Discrimination?
 Sexual harassment harms us all
 Most important part of University values is to ensure all
people are treated with respect and dignity
 Engaging in, condoning, or not reporting sexual
harassment are in direct conflict with University values
 Complies with Title VII and Title IX Obligations
Who is responsible
for addressing harassment?
 All OSU officials in supervisory relationships with employees or students are
charged with the responsibility of responding immediately and appropriately
to correct any situations which creates a hostile working or educational
environment within an administrative unit under their supervision
 In the context of harassment of a student by another student or third
parties, a school has notice if a responsible employee knew, or in the
exercise of reasonable care, should have known about the sexual
harassment or violence
 A reasonable employee includes any employee who:
 Has the authority to take action to redress the harassment,
 Has the duty to report harassment or other type of misconduct to
appropriate officials, OR
 Is someone a student could reasonably believe has this authority or
responsibility
NOTICE
 Notice equals a duty of immediate Title
IX- based prompt and effective action to
eliminate harassment, prevent its
recurrence, and remedy its effects.
 Notice can be second hand or by third
party
Institutional Obligations
Under Title IX
SEXUAL
HARASSMENT
INVESTIGATE
PREVENT
REMEDY
Gender Discrimination /
Sexual Harassment Policy &
Title IX Grievance Procedure
Policy Policy 1-0702

Sexual harassment is prohibited in the workplace

Provides fair employment practices and ethical standards

Victims and/or witnesses encouraged to report instances of
sexual harassment

Supervisors are obligated to take action to prevent and stop
behavior.
 Also obligated to report to Human Resources and/or Equal
Opportunity Officer/Title IX Coordinator
Each member of the campus community
is responsible for preventing sexual
harassment and ensuring that the work
and academic environments are harassment-free. Become
informed about sexual harassment. Evaluate your own
behavior to ensure that you are not engaging in sexual
harassment. Just because you believe your behavior, actions
or language is appropriate, does not mean others think it is
appropriate.
What is Retaliation
 Adverse action taken against an employee because he/she
complained of harassment or discrimination





Demotion
Discipline
Termination
Salary reduction
Change in job duties
Summary
Oklahoma State University is committed to maintaining a work and
academic atmosphere which is free of intimidation, fear and coercion.
Sexual harassment is defined as:
•
Unwelcomed sexual advances
•
Requests for sexual favors
•
Any behaviors of a sexual nature where:
 Submission to such conduct is a term or condition of an individual’s
employment or participation in a university-sponsored educational
program or activity
 Submission to or rejection of such conduct is used as the basis for
academic or employment success
 Such conduct creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive environment
Summary
 Sexual Harassment is a prevalent problem in university
communities. Three out of five students have encountered
some form of Sexual Harassment/Misconduct while in
college
 Sexual Harassment is demeaning, offensive and illegal. It
is not tolerated at Oklahoma State University
 Retaliation is illegal and a violation of OSU policy.
 Sexual Harassment can occur anywhere on or off campus
 Both male and female students can be victims of sexual
harassment
Summary
 Faculty/staff members, students, alumni and even visitors have
the potential to be victims and facilitators of sexual
harassment/misconduct
 Individuals should address incidents promptly by either
confronting the offender or forwarding the incident to one of the
following OSU official who will address the issue:
 The Director of Equal Opportunity/Title IX Coordinator,
Dr. Rosalyn Green, can be reached at 408 Whitehurst, 405744-9153
 The Student Conduct Officer, Aleigha Mariot, can be
reached at 326 student Union Building, 405-744-5470