Definitions
What is sexual harassment?
Sexual harassment occurs when unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or other verbal or physical contact of a sexual nature is made, either explicitly or implicitly, as a term or condition of an individual’s educational status or employment or is used as a basis for education or employment decisions affecting an individual.

Impact
What are the effects?
Sexual harassment can cause confusion, anxiety, self-doubt, guilt, humiliation, and physical stress. It can create a tense and unproductive working or learning environment and may result in failing an examination, dropping a class, changing a major, missing work, quitting a job, or being fired.

Remedies
What can you do?
If you feel you are being sexually harassed, tell the person to stop. Make clear to the offender that the behavior is unacceptable to you. Speak directly. Say something like, "I’d like to keep our relationship strictly professional." Talking to the harasser often stops the behavior, but you are not legally required to confront the individual in order to file a complaint. Take this step only if you feel comfortable doing so.

If you are unable to speak directly to the offender, or if the behavior doesn’t stop ...
¨ Inform the Office of Affirmative Action and, if you are comfortable doing so, also inform the alleged offender’s supervisor, department chair or dean.
¨ Keep a record of dates, times, places, witnesses, and nature of the harassment. Such information is critical if you decide to pursue informal charges or a formal complaint.

Sample Strategies
Seek the aid of a sexual harassment advisor.
Rosario goes to see her professor regularly about her assignments. Lately, he has begun to tell her about his divorce and suggests that she could help him through his difficult transition. Now Rosario is uncomfortable about seeking his help during office hours and is worried that her grade might suffer. She is nervous and depressed and is even thinking of dropping out of school. Rosario decides to talk to a sexual harassment advisor.

Talk with your department chair.
Kareem’s counselor has just approved his program for the semester. As Kareem starts to leave the office, the counselor tells him that they should get to know each other better outside of school. The counselor then reaches out and gives Kareem a pat and a squeeze and says, "I’m going to help you find a good job." Kareem reports the behavior to the department chair.

Enlist the support of other students.
Mei-Li is in a class in which a student regularly makes demeaning and sexual comments about women. The instructor does nothing to stop these comments. Because of this, she wants to drop the class, but the drop date has passed. She talks to other students who are also angered and frustrated by the sexist comments, and they agree to go with Mei-Li to meet with the professor.

Contact the Dean of Students.
Linda is in a class where the instructor gives a written assignment on family values. She decides to write about her lesbian partner and their adopted daughter. The instructor says those are not acceptable family values and suggests that she find a "real man." Linda goes to the Dean of Students to complain.

Sexual Harassment can be
... as blatant as the offer of an "A" for sexual favors,
... as subtle as constant effort to change a professional relationship into a personal or social one,
... persistent and offensive sexual jokes and comments,
... unwanted physical contact such as touching, patting, or pinching,

Offensive & Illegal
Know Your Rights
The San Francisco Community College District policy prohibits all forms of sexual harassment, in accordance with the law. The policy applies to students, classified staff, faculty, and administrators, and third parties (such as vendors).

Telephone for help
For support and assistance, contact any of the City College of San Francisco Sexual Harassment Advisors (see insert), or contact one of the following at City College: