Unlawful Harassment Defined
Unlawful harassment includes all forms of unwelcome verbal, physical and visual conduct and displays that are based on any of the above-mentioned protected characteristics and which are sufficiently severe or pervasive from the objective standpoint of a reasonable person to interfere with performance or create an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment. Harassment can take many forms. Following are some examples that may constitute harassment if sufficiently severe of pervasive:
- Verbal harassment such as jokes, epithets, slurs, negative stereotyping, unwelcome remarks about an individual’s body, dress, clothing, race, physical appearance or abilities, pitch of voice, derogatory comments, discussions of a sexual nature and/or harassing remarks.
- Physical harassment such as physical interference with normal activity, impeding or blocking movement, assault, unwelcome physical contact or touching, staring at a person’s body, and/or threatening, intimidating or hostile acts that relate to any protected characteristic; and
- Visual harassment such as offensive or obscene e‐mails, instant messaging, web blogs, photographs, calendars, posters, cards, cartoons, drawings and gestures, displays with sexually suggestive or lewd objects, unwelcome letters or notes or any other graphic material that denigrates or shows hostility or aversion toward an individual because of the individual’s protected characteristics.
Unlawful harassment may occur in employment with the University or in any of the programs or activities the University provides to students, and it can take place in offices, classrooms, University facilities, dorms, or off-campus locations.