Johnson School
Cornell University

Sexual Harassment Policy

Sexual Harassment is unwanted sexual attention.  The University defines Sexual Harassment as follows:  The unwelcome sexual advances, request for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitutes sexual harassment when:

• submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual's employment or academic status;
• submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for an employment decision or an academic decision affecting that individual; and
• such conduct has the purpose or effect of substantially interfering with an individual's work or academic performance or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working or learning environment.

Sexual Harassment takes the form of oral or written communication (sexual innuendo or suggestive comments, humor, propositions, insults, threats), nonverbal communication (suggestive sounds or gestures), or physical actions (touching, coerced relations).

The sexual harasser can be male or female; old or young; deliberately manipulative, well intentioned, or emotionally disturbed; an individual or a member of a harassing group; a person in authority, a peer, or a subordinate.  He or she can be a manager, a member of the faculty, a staff member, a coworker or a graduate or undergraduate student.

Any behavior with which you feel uncomfortable may very well involve Sexual Harassment.  Should that be the case, you are urged to contact a Harassment Advisor.  At the same time, if you are not sure if what you are experiencing is harassment, do not hesitate to contact either the Office of Workforce Diversity, Equity and Life Quality, 160 Day Hall, X5-3976, or one of the Harassment Advisors to simply talk about your feelings.

Harassment Advisors (As Identified Annually by the Dean) in the Johnson School are:

The primary responsibilities of the Harassment Advisor are to listen and to make you aware of the options available and to assist you in implementing that which you choose.  The choice, however, of which avenue to pursue, remains yours.  Advisors are appointed to counsel anyone wishing to discuss perceptions of harassment.  All discussions are strictly confidential unless you explicitly give the Advisor permission to pursue the matter further.

There are a variety of procedures, formal and informal, when dealing with cases of harassment, depending on the severity of the situation and the institutional affiliation of those involved.  An informal, but often effective, procedure can be as simple as sending a letter to the individual you perceive as a harasser, describing the incident in question and asking that it cease.  Usually taking this direct action can stop harassment. 

More formal procedures do exist to protect all students, faculty, and staff.  Copies of the Grievance Procedures are available to members of the University's community through the Harassment Advisors or directly through the Office of Workforce Diversity, Equity and Life Quality, 160 Day Hall, X5-3976.  Student Disciplinary Procedures fall under the Campus Code of Conduct, a copy of which can be obtained directly through the Office of the Judicial Administrator, 223 Day Hall, X5-4680, or accessed electronically at http://www.policy.cornell.edu/Campus_Code_of_Conduct.cfm. The University's Sexual Harassment policy now reissued as Prohibited Discrimination, Protected Status (Including Sexual) Harassment and Bias Activity can be found at http://www.policy.cornell.edu/vol6_4.cfm.

Harassment, sexual or otherwise, is illegal.  Report it!

Last Modified: March 9, 2007