A Student’s Guide to Reporting Harassment
The purpose of this guide is to ensure an orderly resolution of charges of sexual, racial, or other forms of harassment brought by students at Wilson Community College. Sexual harassment and racial harassment have been held to constitute a form of discrimination prohibited by the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended and Title IX of the Education amendments of 1972. Applicable law prohibits other types of harassment. Wilson Community College prohibits all acts of harassment and will properly investigate any claims of harassment.
Sexual and Other Unlawful Harassment / Definitions of Harassment
Wilson Community College is committed to providing an educational and/or work environment that is free from all forms of discrimination and harassment. Wilson Community College expressly prohibits any form of unlawful discrimination or harassment based on sex; race; color; national origin; age; religion; disability; citizenship; status as a Vietnam era, special disabled, or other covered veteran; or status in any group protected by law. Wilson Community College provides ongoing harassment training to ensure everyone the opportunity to work and/or learn in an environment free of sexual and other unlawful harassment.
Sexual harassment is defined as unwanted sexual advances, visual, verbal, or physical conduct of a sexual nature. This definition includes many forms of offensive behavior and includes gender-based harassment of a person of the same sex as the harasser. Examples of the types of conduct expressly prohibited by the policy include, but are not limited to, the following
- Unwanted sexual advances.
- Offering employment benefits in exchange for sexual favors.
- Making or threatening reprisals after a negative response to sexual advances.
- Conduct that includes leering, making sexual gestures, or the displaying of sexually suggestive objects, pictures, cartoons, or posters.
- Conduct that includes making or using derogatory comments, epithets, slurs, or jokes.
- Abuse of a sexual nature such as graphic verbal commentaries about an individual’s body, sexually degrading words used to describe an individual, or suggestive or obscene letters, notes, or invitations.
- Conduct that includes touching, assaulting, or impeding or blocking movements or violating someone’s “personal space.”
Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitute harassment when: (1) submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of employment or reward; (2) submission to or rejection of the conduct is used as a basis for making educational, academic, or employment decisions; or, (3) the conduct has the purpose or effect of interfering with educational, academic, or employment performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive educational, academic, or employment environment.
All College employees and students are responsible for creating an atmosphere free of discrimination or harassment, sexual or otherwise. Further, all College employees and students are responsible for respecting the rights of all members of the College community.
If any student experiences or witnesses any sexual or other unlawful harassment or discrimination in the College environment, report it promptly to the Dean of Student Development. If the Dean of Student Development is unavailable or you believe it would be inappropriate to contact that person, you should promptly contact any senior administrator. This policy applies to all incidents of alleged discrimination or harassment, including those that occur off-campus or off-hours, when the alleged offender has a relationship with the College. Should the alleged discrimination or harassment occur at a time other than the normal operating hours of the College, your complaint should be filed as early as practicable on the first business day following the alleged incident.
All allegations of sexual or other harassment will be quickly and discreetly investigated. All complaints will be kept confidential to the maximum extent possible. All employees and students have a duty to cooperate fully with the College in connection with any such investigation.
If Wilson Community College determines that an employee or student is guilty of discriminating or harassing another individual, appropriate disciplinary action will be taken against the offending employee or student, up to and including termination of employment, suspension, or expulsion.
Wilson Community College prohibits any form of retaliation against any student or employee for filing a bona fide complaint under this policy or for assisting in a complaint investigation. However, if after investigating any complaint of harassment or unlawful discrimination, the College determines that the complaint is not bona fide and was not made in good faith or that an employee or student has provided false information regarding the complaint, disciplinary action may be taken against the individual who filed the complaint or who gave false information.