Southeast Community College is committed to maintaining learning and working environments that are free
from all forms of illegal harassment and discrimination. The College will not tolerate harassment or
retaliation in the workplace or educational environment whether committed by faculty, staff, or
students, or by visitors to the College while they are on College-owned or controlled property or at
events conducted, sponsored or sanctioned by the College. Each member of the College community is
responsible for fostering civility, for being familiar with this policy, and for refraining from conduct
that violates this policy. Violations include:
- Discrimination. Any act or failure to act that is based upon an individual or
group’s actual or perceived status (race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex*, age, marital status,
national origin, veteran status, sexual orientation, disability, or other factors prohibited by law)
that is sufficiently severe that it limits or denies the ability to participate in or benefit from
the College’s educational program or activities.
- Harassment. Harassment is any intentional behavior directed to another individual
or group that is hostile, humiliating, or demeaning. Harassment, when directed at an individual, may
include, but is not limited to: unwanted physical contact; use of epithets, inappropriate jokes,
comments or innuendos; obscene or harassing telephone calls, emails, letters, notes or other forms
of communication; and any conduct that may create a hostile working or academic environment.
Harassment based on an individual’s race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex*, age, marital status,
national origin, veteran status, sexual orientation, disability, or other factors is against SCC
policy and against the law.
- Sexual Harassment. Sexual harassment is any conduct on the basis of sex and that meets one or
more of the following conditions:
- Involves an employee of the College conditioning the provision of an aid, benefit, or service of the College on another person’s participation in unwelcome sexual conduct;
- Would be considered by a reasonable person to be severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive that it effectively denies
someone equal access to the College’s education program or activity; or
- Involves sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, or stalking.
- Retaliatory Discrimination or Harassment. Any overt or covert act of reprisal,
interference, restraint, penalty, discrimination, intimidation or harassment against one or more
individuals for exercising their rights (or supporting others for exercising their rights) under
this policy.
- Items of Public Display. SCC does not condone the public display of items (e.g.,
posters, t-shirt designs, paintings, etc.) which are intended and/or deemed racist, sexist,
indecent, illegal, inciting, or oppressive in nature.
*The U.S. Department of Education's Office for
Civil Rights enforces Title IX's prohibition on discrimination on the basis of sex to also include
discrimination based on gender identity.