General Policies: 1-3 Policy Against Sexual Harassment and Other Unlawful Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation - Sexual Harassment

Wellesley College

  • Speech Code Rating
    Yellow
  • Speech Code Category
    Harassment Policies
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Sexual Harassment Defined

Conduct prohibited by this sexual harassment policy includes unwanted sexual advances, requests for sexual favors or visual, verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when:

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  • Such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an employee's work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive working environment.

This sexual harassment policy prohibits various forms of offensive behavior based on sex. The following is a non-exhaustive list of the types of conduct prohibited by this policy:

  • Unwanted sexual advances or propositions (including repeated and unwelcome requests for dates);
  • Offers of employment benefits in exchange for sexual favors;
  • Making or threatening reprisals after a negative response to sexual advances;
  • Visual conduct: leering, making sexual gestures, displaying of sexually suggestive objects or pictures, cartoons, posters, websites, emails or text messages;
  • Verbal conduct: making or using sexually derogatory comments, innuendos, epithets, slurs, sexually explicit jokes, or comments about an individual’s body or dress, whistling or making suggestive or insulting sounds;
  • Verbal and/or written abuse of a sexual nature, graphic verbal and/or written sexually degrading commentary about an individual's body or dress, sexually suggestive or obscene letters, notes, invitations, emails, text messages, tweets or other social media postings;
  • Physical conduct: touching, assault or impeding or blocking normal movements;
  • Retaliation for making reports or threatening to report sexual harassment.
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