SEXUAL MISCONDUCT, DEFINED
Sexual Misconduct is comprised of a broad range of prohibited behaviors and for the purposes of this Sexual Misconduct
Code is designated by four distinct prohibited behaviors: 1) sexual harassment; 2) non-consensual sexual contact; 3) nonconsensual sexual intercourse; and 4) sexual exploitation.
1.
2.
SEXUAL HARRASSMENT is conduct, including physical contact, advances, and comments in person and/or via
phone, text message, email, or other electronic medium, that is (a) unwelcome; (b) based on sex or gender stereotypes;
and/or (c) is so severe or pervasive that it unreasonably interferes with a person's academic performance or equal
opportunity to participate in or benefit from College programs or activities. For the purpose of this Sexual
Misconduct Code there are three types of Sexual Harassment: a) Hostile Environment, b) Quid pro quo, or c)
Retaliatory Harassment.
a.
A “Hostile Environment” exists when there is harassing conduct that is sufficiently severe,
pervasive/persistent and patently/objectively offensive so that that it alters the conditions of education or
employment, from both a subjective (the alleged victim’s) and an objective (reasonable person’s) viewpoint.
In evaluating whether the environment is “hostile” the following circumstances may be considered, but is not
limited to:
1)
the frequency of the conduct [pattern or practice of harassment];
2)
the nature and severity of the conduct[single or isolated incident if sufficiently severe];
3)
whether the conduct was physically threatening;
4)
whether the conduct was humiliating;
5)
the effect of the conduct on the alleged victim’s mental or emotional state;
6)
whether the conduct was directed at more than one person;
7)
whether the conduct arose in the context of other discriminatory conduct;
8)
whether the conduct unreasonably interfered with the alleged victim’s educational or
work performance; or
9)
whether the speech or conduct deserves the protections of academic freedom.
b.
“Quid pro quo sexual harassment” exists when there are unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors
or other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature; and when submission to or rejection of such conduct
results in adverse educational or employment action.
c.
“Retaliatory harassment” is any adverse educational or employment action taken against a person because of
the person’s participation in a complaint or investigation of discrimination or sexual misconduct.
NON‐CONSENSUAL SEXUAL CONTACT:
•
any sexual touching,
•
however slight,
•
with any object,
•
by a man or a woman upon a man or a woman,
•
without consent.*
Sexual contact with the breasts, buttocks, groin, or genitals, or touching another with any of these body parts, or making
another touch you or themselves with or on any of these body parts; any intentional bodily contact in a sexual manner, though
not involving contact with/of/by breasts, buttocks, groin, genitals, mouth or other
orifice.
3.
NON‐CONSENSUAL SEXUAL INTERCOURSE:
• any sexual intercourse (anal, oral, or vaginal),
• however slight,
• with any object,
• by a man or woman upon a man or a woman,
• without consent.*
Intercourse however slight, meaning vaginal penetration by a penis, object, tongue or finger, anal penetration by a penis,
object, tongue, or finger, and oral copulation (mouth to genital contact or genital to mouth contact).
*CONSENT DEFINED
Consent is permission, freely given by word or action, by all participants to a sexual act. Consent can be given by words or
actions, as long as those words or actions create mutually understandable permission regarding the conditions of sexual
activity. Consent is active, not passive. Silence and/or absence of resistance cannot be interpreted as consent. According to
New York State law in order to give effective consent, one must be at least 17 years old. Violation of the consent policy as
part of the sexual misconduct code may include the following considerations, but not limited to:
• A person cannot consent if he or she is unable to understand what is happening or is disoriented,
helpless, asleep, or unconscious for any reason, including due to alcohol or drugs, or from being
administered a “substance” for the purpose of inducing incapacity or incapacitated due to a mental
disability.
• When a student has sexual activity with someone they know to be or should know to be—mentally or
physically incapacitated (by alcohol or other drug use, unconsciousness or blackout), they are in violation
of this policy. Incapacitation is a state where one cannot make a rational, reasonable decision because
they lack the ability to understand the who, what, when, where, why or how of their sexual interaction.
• It is not an excuse that the student accused of sexual misconduct was intoxicated and/or under the
influence of other drugs, therefore, did not realize the incapacity of the other.
• Consent to some sexual contact (such as kissing) cannot imply consent for other forms of sexual activity
(such as intercourse).
• A current or previous intimate relationship is not sufficient to imply consent for future sexual acts.
• A person can withdraw consent at any time during sexual activity by expressing in words or actions that
he or she no longer wants the activity to continue, and, if that happens, the other person must stop
immediately.
• A verbal “no” or other verbal expression of dissent and/or physical resistance, no matter how indecisive
or weak or passive, always means “no.”
• Consent cannot be obtained by use of physical force, compelling threats, intimidating behavior, or
coercion. Coercion is unreasonable pressure for sexual activity. When someone makes clear to you that
they do not want to engage in sexual intercourse, that they want to stop, or that they do not want to go
past a certain point of sexual interaction, continued pressure beyond that point can be coercive.
4.
SEXUAL EXPLOITATION
Occurs when a student takes non‐consensual or abusive sexual advantage of another for his/her own advantage or
benefit, or to benefit or advantage anyone other than the one being exploited, and that behavior does not otherwise
constitute one of other sexual misconduct offenses. Examples of sexual exploitation include, but are not limited to:
taking pictures or video or audio recording of another in a sexual act, or in any other private activity without their
consent or engaging in sexual activity with another person while knowingly infected with a sexually transmitted
infection (STI) or sexually transmitted disease (STD) and without informing the other person of the infection.