Policy Statement

 
Rollins College prohibits harassment of any kind, including sexual harassment.  Rollins College promotes a cooperative work and academic environment in which there exists mutual respect for all College students, faculty, and staff. Sexual harassment is inconsistent with this objective and contrary to the College policy of equal employment and academic opportunity without regard to age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, alienage or citizenship, religion, race, color, national or ethnic origin, disability, and veteran or marital status. Sexual harassment is illegal under Federal, State, and City laws, and will not be tolerated within the College.

What is Sexual Harassment?

Unwanted and unsolicited sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other deliberate or repeated communication of a sexual nature, whether spoken, written, physical or pictorial, shall constitute sexual harassment when:

• Submission to such conduct is made either implicitly or explicitly a term or condition of an individual's employment, academic status or participation in College-sponsored activities;
• Rejection of such conduct is used as the basis, implicitly or explicitly, for imposing adverse terms and conditions of employment, academic status or participation in College-sponsored events; or
• Such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual's work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive working or learning 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 members), 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.

Examples of Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment may take different forms. Using a person's response to a request for sexual favors as a basis for an academic or employment decision is one form of sexual harassment. Examples this type of sexual harassment (known as quid pro quo harassment) include, but are not limited to, the following:

• requesting or demanding sexual favors in exchange for employment or academic opportunities (such as hiring, promotions, grades, or recommendations);
• submitting unfair or inaccurate job or academic evaluations or grades, or denying training, promotion, or access to any other employment or academic opportunity, because sexual advances have been rejected.
• Other types of unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature can also constitute sexual harassment, if sufficiently severe or pervasive that the target does find, and a reasonable person would find, that an intimidating, hostile, offensive or abusive work or academic environment has been created. Examples of this kind of sexual harassment (known as hostile environment harassment) include, but are not limited to, the following:
• sexual comments, teasing, or jokes;
• sexual slurs, demeaning epithets, derogatory statements, or other verbal abuse;
• graphic or sexually suggestive comments about an individual's attire or body;
• inquiries or discussions about sexual activities;
• pressure to accept social invitations, to meet privately, to date, or to have sexual relations;
• sexually suggestive letters or other written materials;
• sexual touching, brushing up against another in a sexual manner, graphic or sexually suggestive gestures, cornering, pinching, grabbing, kissing, or fondling;
• coerced sexual intercourse or sexual assault.

How Do I Report Harassment?

If you, or any employee, feels that sexual harassment has occurred, or if you have observed harassing behavior, please contact the Human Resources Department at 407-646-2369. 

If you believe that you have been harassed on any basis other than sexual harassment, you should immediately discuss the circumstances of the harassment with the Human Resources Department. The College will promptly handle each complaint with discretion and, where necessary, appropriate action will be taken.  

For additional information, please see Policy 050.00.