Non-Discrimination

Sexual Assault. Consistent with federal law, Clarkson defines sexual assault as including non-consensual sexual acts[intercourse] and non-consensual sexual contact which can be further defined as follows:

Non-Consensual Sexual Acts[Intercourse.] Any sexual penetration (anal, oral or vaginal), however slight, with any body part or object by a person upon a person, that is without affirmative consent. Non-consensual sexual acts includes the following:

Rape: penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the affirmative consent of the victim.

Statutory Rape: Non-forcible sexual intercourse with a person who is under the statutory age of consent. In New York, the statutory age of consent is 17 years old.   

Non-Consensual Sexual Contact. Any intentional sexual touching, however slight, for purposes of sexual gratification or with sexual intent, of any private body part, by a person upon a person, that is without affirmative consent.  This includes, but is not limited to, intentional contact for sexual or arousal reasons with the breasts, buttocks, groin, or genitals, or touching another with any of these body parts, or making another touch oneself 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, with any object.

New York State Laws can be found on the www.svfreenyc.org website.

Sexual Exploitation occurs when a person, without affirmative consent, takes sexual advantage of another for their own advantage or benefit, or to benefit or advantage anyone other than the one being exploited. Examples of sexual exploitation include, but are not limited to the following:

• invasion of sexual privacy;
• prostituting another person;
• non-consensual video or audio-taping of sexual activity;
• going beyond the boundaries of consent;
• observing unsuspecting individuals who are partly undressed, naked, or engaged in sexual acts;
• engaging in sexual activity with another person while knowingly infected with HIV or another STD without informing the other person of such infection;
• exposing one’s breasts, buttocks, groin, or genitals, in non-consensual circumstances; coercing another to expose their breasts, buttocks, groin, or genitals

Stalking. Stalking is behavior means a course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to fear for her, his, or others' safety, or to suffer substantial emotional distress.   Stalking may involve following or placing another under surveillance, or repeatedly contacting another person for the purpose of harassing and intimidating the other person. The term “contact” means to make or attempt to make any communication, including, but not limited to, communication in person, by telephone, by mail, by broadcast, by computer or computer network, or by any other electronic device It does not require that an overt threat of death or bodily injury be made.

https://www.victimsofcrime.org/help-for-crime-victims/get-help-bulletins-for-crime-victims/bulletins-for-teens/stalking#victim

Sexual Harassment. Sexual harassment is a specific form of harassment.  The term refers to unwelcome conduct, based on sex or on gender stereotypes that a reasonable person would find intimidating, hostile or offensive. Sexual harassment may include, for example, exposing a person to unwanted sexually graphic conversation; an attempt to coerce an unwilling person into a sexual relationship; to repeatedly subject a person to unwelcome sexual attention or advances; to punish a refusal to comply with a sexual based request; to condition a benefit on submitting to sexual advances; sexual violence or sexual assault; intimate partner violence; sexual interest-based stalking, or gender-based bullying.

There are three types of Sexual Harassment:

• QUID PRO QUO: Benefits offered or withheld as a means of coercing sexual favors.
• HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT: Conduct that unreasonably interferes with the victim’s work/academic performance or repeatedly creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive environment.
• RETALIATORY: retaliation against an individual or individuals for bringing a complaint or participating in a complaint

As with other forms of harassment, whether sexual harassment has occurred in violation of this policy depends on a consideration of all the circumstances, including the severity of the incident(s), whether the conduct was repeated, whether it was threatening or merely annoying, and the context in which the incident or interaction occurred.

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

• physical assault that occurs because of sex or gender;
• direct or implied threats that submission to sexual advances will be a condition of employment, work status, compensation, promotion, grades, or letters of recommendation;
• sexual advances, physical or implied, or direct propositions of a sexual nature. This activity may include inappropriate/unnecessary touching or rubbing against another, sexually suggestive or degrading jokes or comments, remarks of a sexual nature about one's clothing and/or body, preferential treatment in exchange for sexual activity, and the inappropriate display of sexually explicit pictures, text, printed materials, or objects that do not serve an academic purpose;
• a pattern of conduct, which can be subtle in nature, that has sexual or gender overtones and is intended to create, or has the effect of creating, discomfort and/or humiliation of another; or
• remarks speculating about a person's sexual activities or sexual history, or remarks about sexual activities that do not serve a medical or academic purpose.

Sexual Misconduct. Sexual misconduct refers generically to the categories of sex-based behaviors prohibited by this policy, including sexual harassment, sexual assault, non-consensual sexual contact (or attempts to commit same), non-consensual sexual intercourse (or attempts to commit same), domestic violence, dating violence, stalking and sexual exploitation. Sexual misconduct can occur between strangers or acquaintances, including people involved in an intimate or sexual relationship. Sexual misconduct can be committed by persons of any gender or sex, and it can occur between people of the same or different sex.