Harassment Policy

Grays Harbor College as a place of work and study, aspires to be free of all forms of harrassment intimidation and exploitation. The College will take action to prevent and correct such behavior. Retaliation against any employee, student, applicant or volunteer who reports harrassment is also subject to discipline.

Sexual harassment is a form of discriminatory misconduct and is illegal. It will not be tolerated at this institution. The determination of what constitutes sexual harassment will vary with the particular circumstances, but it may be described generally as repeated and unwanted/uninvited sexual behavior, such as physical contact and verbal comments or suggestions, which adversely affects the working or learning environment.

Examples of behaviors that may constitute sexual harassment may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Persistent, unwelcome flirtation, advances and/or propositions of a sexual nature;
• Repeated, offensive and unwelcome insults and/or jokes that are sexual in nature;
• Repeated, unwelcome comments of a sexual nature about an individual’s body or clothing;
• Deliberate and unwelcome touching, such as patting, pinching, hugging or repeated brushing against an individual’s body;
• Unwelcome and offensive displays of sexually suggestive objects or pictures;
• Pressure for dates or sex, if unwelcome and repeated;
• Pressure for dates or sex in exchange for grades, promotions, salary increases or benefits;
• Stating or implying to an applicant that he/she will be hired with sexual relations as a condition of employment; and/or,
• Defaming the reputation of an employee or student in front of others by implying sexual involvement.

Sexual harassment occurs through improper sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and other unwelcome verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when:

• Submission to such conduct is made, either explicitly or implicitly, a term or condition of an individual’s employment or academic success;
• Submission to, or rejection of, such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment or academic decisions affecting such individual; or
• Such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s performance or creating an intimidating, threatening, hostile or offensive environment.

Anyone who is subjected to offensive sexual behavior is encourage to pursue the matter through either specific procedures established by College policy, appropriate formal grievance procedures, or the means afforded them through RCW, Chapter 49.60, or under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended in 1972.

Contact the Office of Human Resources/Affirmative Action for more information, or assistance.

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