In those situations, sexual harassment exploits unfairly the power inherent in the position of the faculty member or supervisor. Through grades, wage increases, recommendations for graduate study, promotion and the like, a teacher or supervisor can have a decisive influence on a student's, staff member's or faculty member's career at the university and beyond. Policy Statement Prohibitions Sexual harassment is an abuse of power which is demeaning and interferes with the ability to work or participate in an educational setting. Under state law, sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination and is illegal. Such conduct has the purpose or effect of creating an intimidating, hostile, humiliating or sexually offensive educational, employment or living environment.
Sexual harassment can be blatant or subtle.
Blatant forms of sexual harassment include sexual propositions, inappropriate touching, unsolicited embracing or kissing, assault and rape. All forms of sexual harassment cause the victim to feel uncomfortable or threatened by the behavior and may cause the victim to fear retaliation such as the loss of a job or poor grades. While Oklahoma Christian University encourages individuals who believe they are being harassed to firmly and promptly notify the offender that his or her behavior is unwelcome, the university also recognizes that power and status differences between an alleged harasser and a complainant may make confrontation impossible. In the event that such informal, direct communication between individuals is either ineffective or impossible, the formal complaint resolution procedure found below should be utilized. Use of informal procedures is not a prerequisite to initiating a formal complaint.