Sexual Harassment Awareness Training

1
Sexual Harassment Awareness Training

• Pittsburg State University

2
Introduction

• Jamie Brooksher
• PSU Director of Equal Opportunity
• Associate General Counsel
• Russ Hall, room 218
• jbrooksh_at_pittstate.edu
• 620-235-4189
• Investigate sexual harassment and discrimination
  claims, and do trainings

3

• What do you think of when you hear sexual
  harassment?

4
Examples of Sexual Harassment

• A supervisor implies to an employee that the
  employee must sleep with him to keep a job
• An office clerk makes demeaning comments about
  female customers to his coworkers
• A manager is made uncomfortable by an employee
  who tells sexually explicit jokes
• A secretarys coworkers refer to her by sexist
  terms, like Hey baby.
• An employee send out a joke email with sexually
  explicit language.

5
What is Sexual Harassment?

• Complicated definition.
• Two different kinds of sexual harassment.
• Basically
• Sexual harassment is UNWANTED, UNWELCOME
  attention directed toward a persons sexuality or
  sexual identity

6
How is sexual harassment illegal?

• Federal Law
• State Law
• PSU policy
• Kansas Board of Regents Policy

7
Pittsburg State University Policy

• Sexual discrimination in the form of sexual
  harassment, defined as the use of one's authority
  or power to coerce another into unwanted sexual
  relations or to punish another for his/her
  refusal, or the creation by a member of the
  University community of an intimidating, hostile,
  or offensive working education environment
  through repetitive verbal or physical conduct of
  a sexual nature, shall be a violation of
  Pittsburg State University's Affirmative Action
  Policy.

8
Pittsburg State University Policy

• In other words
• Using your authority to
• Coerce someone into UNWANTED sexual relations or
• Punishing them for refusing to participate
• OR
• Creating with your repetitive actions an
  intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment.

9
What are the consequences of sexual harassment?

• Federal and State Law
• Ordered to pay damages in a lawsuit that is
  public record.
• PSU
• Terminated from job at the worst, severe
  sanctions at the least.

10
Two Kinds of Sexual Harassment

• Quid Pro Quo
• Use of ones authority or power to coerce another
  into unwanted sexual relations or to punish
  another for his/her refusal.
• Hostile Work Environment
• Creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive
  working or education environment through
  repetitive verbal or physical conduct- of a
  sexual nature.

11
Quid Pro Quo

• Often seen on movies, like Disclosure with Demi
  Moore.
• A threat that an educational or employment
  decision may be affected by an unwillingness to
  tolerate or accept sexual attentions OR
• Submission to or rejection of such conduct is
  used as the basis for educational or employment
  decisions.
• Illegal whether the victim resists or submits

12
Examples of Quid Pro Quo

• Sexual Bribery- soliciting sexual favor by
  promise of reward
• Promotions, raises, preferential use of
  equipment, valued assignment, favorable
  recommendation
• Threatened termination.
• Threatened or given
• Negative recommendations or references
• Negative performance evaluations
• Withholding promotions
• Disciplinary action

13
Examples of Quid Pro Quo

• If you dont go out on a date with me, I wont
  let you go to that conference you want to go to
  this year.
• If you dont flirt with me I wont tell you about
  important meetings that you need to be at to
  succeed here.
• If you let me touch you inappropriately I will
  give you a raise.

14
Hostile Work Environment

• Classic example in movie, North Country with
  Charlize Theron
• Conduct so pervasive it changes the nature of the
  environment
• Usually more than one occasion, but if severe
  enough, one occasion is sufficient

15
Examples of Hostile Environment

• Seductive Behavior-unwanted, inappropriate and
  offensive sexual advances
• Repeated unwanted sexual invitations, insistent
  requests for dinner, drinks or dates, persistent
  letters, giving personal gifts, phone calls
• Gender Harassment- generalized sexist statements
  and behavior about women
• Insulting remarks, offensive graffiti, whistling
  at someone, cat calls, obscene jokes or humor
  about sex or women in general

16
Examples of Hostile Environment

• Sexual Comments or Gestures- have sexual content
  or implications
• Remarks or questions about sexual life,
  simulating sexual acts, talking about ones own
  sex life, staring, elevator eyes, sexual teasing,
  sexual jokes
• Sexual Imposition- unwanted touching
• Including grabbing, hugging, feeling, kissing,
  patting, stroking, neck massage or sexual assault

17
Examples of Hostile Environment

• Hey baby, you look good in that skirt.
• You got a boyfriend? Does he satisfy you?
• Women are all bitches when they are on diets.
• You need a real man.
• When is the last time you got laid?
• Giving a co-worker an unwanted, offensive
  shoulder rub when you walk by.
• Showing co-workers pornography.

18
What to do if you experience sexual harassment

• First, tell the harasser to stop.
• Explain that the conduct or conversation is not
  welcome.
• Second, document the behavior.
• Write down who, what, where, when and how.
• Report the behavior to someone you feel
  comfortable telling, like your supervisor or the
  director of equal opportunity.
• DO NOT WORRY ABOUT RETALIATION!

19
What to do if you experience sexual harassment

• Retaliation against persons who file a sexual
  harassment complaint is a violation of PSUs
  policy and the law
• If your supervisor does not address the problem,
  or if your supervisor is the harasser, report the
  incidents directly to the Director of Equal
  Opportunity.