4. Sexual Harassment Defined
Under this policy, unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other visual, verbal or physical conduct of a sexual or gender bias nature constitute sexual harassment when:
- Educational Environment:
- Submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual’s academic status (“quid pro quo”);
- Conduct that is sufficiently severe, persistent or pervasive so as to interfere with or limit a student’s ability to participate in or benefit from the services, activities or opportunities offered by the institution (“hostile environment”).
- Workplace Environment:
- Submission to or rejection of the conduct is used as a basis for academic or employment decisions or evaluations, or permission to participate in an activity (“quid pro quo”); or
- Conduct that is sufficiently severe, persistent or pervasive so as to create a work environment that a reasonable person would consider intimidating, hostile or abusive, and which may or may not interfere with the employee’s job performance (“hostile environment”).
Sexual violence is a severe form of sexual harassment, and refers to physical sexual acts or attempted sexual acts perpetrated against a person’s will or where a person is incapable of giving consent, including but not limited to rape, sexual assault, sexual battery, sexual coercion or similar acts in violation of state or federal law.