PLEASE NOTE: This policy is currently under review by the Sexual Harassment/Assault Policy Review Task Force. The following policy will remain in effect until the task force completes its work in fall 2008. When the new policy is completed, the community will be notified of the change in policy and the new policy will be available online.

Sarah Lawrence College is committed to providing an environment that is free of sexual assault and sexual harassment. Sexual assault or harassment has no place in an intellectual community founded on mutual respect and tolerance. Sexual assault and sexual harassment can impair or prevent the educational and occupational opportunities of individuals at Sarah Lawrence. The College will not tolerate sexual assault or harassment in the work or academic settings it provides. This policy applies to all College faculty, administrators, staff, and students as well as vendors and others who come onto college premises with permission.

It is a violation of this policy for any faculty member, administrator, other employee, or student (male or female) to sexually assault or harass a student or faculty member, administrator, or other employee.

It is the policy of the College to investigate promptly and fully all complaints of sexual assault and sexual harassment and to take any steps necessary to remedy the situation. All students and employees are expected to cooperate fully with any investigation of sexual assault and/or harassment.

Information provided during an investigation of sexual assault or harassment will be treated as confidential. This means that such information will be shared with others on a need-to-know basis only. Before any hearing held under this policy, the respondent will be informed of the charges and will be provided all other information available to the College that it determines to be relevant.

A student found to have engaged in sexual assault or harassment is subject to disciplinary sanctions, up to and including suspension or permanent exclusion from the College. An employee found to have engaged in sexual assault or harassment is subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment. Any retaliation, discrimination, or other adverse action, such as intimidation, threats, or coercion, taken against a student or employee due to a complaint of sexual assault or harassment or assistance in an investigation of sexual assault or harassment will also result in disciplinary sanctions, up to and including suspension or permanent exclusion from the College, in the case of a student, and up to and including termination of employment, in the case of an employee.

The College considers it unwise and inappropriate for faculty, administrators, staff, or contractors to engage in romantic or sexual relationships with students, or for department heads or supervisors to engage in romantic or sexual relationships with employees under their supervision and potentially subject to their judgment concerning personnel actions. Although both parties may consider the relationship a matter of mutual consent, the imbalances of power and authority and the potential for manipulation and misunderstanding inherent in such relationships can undermine the freedom and equity of the academic work setting. All members of the Sarah Lawrence community should be aware that initial consent to a romantic or sexual relationship does not preclude the potential for charges of sexual assault or harassment, should consent be withdrawn by one party.

Complaints against an administrator or a staff member should be brought to the director of human resources.

Complaints against a faculty member should be brought to the dean of the college.

Complaints against a student should be brought to the dean of student affairs or the Office of the Dean of Studies.

A faculty member or an administrator or other college supervisor who receives a complaint of sexual assault or harassment is expected to notify the appropriate administrator (listed above) immediately to initiate an investigation.

Information about the hearing procedures and composition of the hearing panel are available in the Office of Human Resources.