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Sexual Harassment Policy - Title IX

The following policy prohibiting sexual harassment was adopted by the Board of Trustees of The City University of New York on June 26, 1995.

It is the policy of The City University of New York and Medgar Evers College to promote a cooperative work and academic environment in which there exists mutual respect for all University students, faculty, and staff. Harassment of employees or students based upon sex is inconsistent with this objective and contrary to the University policy of equal employment and academic opportunity without regard to age, sex, sexual orientation, alienage or citizenship, religion, race, color, national or ethnic origin, handicap, and veteran or marital status. Sexual harassment is illegal under Federal, State, and City laws, and will not be tolerated within the University.

The University, through its colleges, will disseminate this policy and take other steps to educate the University community about sexual harassment. The University will establish procedures to ensure that investigations of allegations of sexual harassment are conducted in a manner that is prompt, fair, thorough, and as confidential as possible under the circumstances, and appropriate corrective and/or disciplinary action is taken as warranted by the circumstances when sexual harassment is determined to have occurred. Members of the University community who believe themselves to be aggrieved under this policy are strongly encouraged to report the allegations of sexual harassment as promptly as possible. Delay in making a complaint of sexual harassment may make it more difficult for the college to investigate the allegations.

Prohibited Conduct

It is a violation of University policy for any member of the University community to engage in sexual harassment or to retaliate against any member of the University community for raising an allegations of sexual harassment, for filing a complaint alleging sexual harassment, or for participating in any proceeding to determine if sexual harassment has occurred.

Definition of Sexual Harassment

For purposes of this policy, sexual harassment is defined as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other oral or written communications or physical conduct of a sexual nature when:

  1. submission to such conduct is made either implicitly or overtly a term or condition of an individual’s employment or academic standing;

  2. submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as a basis for employment or academic decisions affecting the individual; or

  3. such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work or academic performance or creating an intimidating, hostile or abusive work or academic environment.

Sexual harassment can occur between individuals of different sexes or of the same sex. Although sexual harassment most often exploits a relationship between individuals of unequal power (such as between faculty/staff member and student, supervisor and employee, or tenured and untenured faculty member) it may also occur between individuals of equal power (such as between fellow students or co-workers), or in some circumstances even where it appears that the harasser has less power than the individual harassed (for example, a student sexually harassing a faculty member). A lack of intent to harass may be relevant to, but will not be determinative of, whether sexual harassment has occurred.

Procedures

Each Dean, Department Chairperson, or other person with supervisory responsibility is required to report any complaint of sexual harassment. All members of the College community are required to cooperate in any investigation of a sexual harassment complaint.

Any member of the University community may report allegations of sexual harassment to any member of the Sexual Harassment Panel. Employees who are covered by collective bargaining agreements may either use their contractual grievance procedures within the time limits provided in those agreements, to report allegations of sexual harassment; or, they may report such allegations directly to a member of the Panel as provided in these procedures.

More information about grievance procedures and the panel members can be found in the Affirmative Action Office 718 270-5131.