Undergraduate Student Handbook: Prohibited Behavior- Harassment
Wake Forest University
Relevant Excerpt
Harassment is any unwelcome and persistent or pervasive conduct directed toward an individual or against a group that is based on that person鈥檚 or group鈥檚 actual or perceived race, color, age, ethnicity, national origin, immigration status, socioeconomic status, political affiliation, veteran status, pregnancy status, genetic information, or religion. The conduct may be verbal, nonverbal, written, electronic, or physical behavior and/or communication. Behavior based on an individual or group鈥檚 gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability is addressed under the University鈥檚 Student Sexual Misconduct Policy or Student Disability Grievance Procedures. ...
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To constitute harassment, the unwelcome behavior or communication must have the purpose or effect of being sufficiently serious as to:
- create an intimidating, hostile, or demeaning educational, living, or work environment, or
- deny or limit a person鈥檚 work performance or a student鈥檚 ability to participate in or benefit from an educational program.
In addition, to constitute harassment, the conduct must include something beyond the mere expression of views, words, symbols, or thoughts that some person may find offensive. The conduct will be viewed from both a subjective (the complainant鈥檚) and an objective (reasonable person鈥檚) viewpoint, and take into consideration all surrounding circumstances. Such conduct does not need to be directed at or to a specific individual in order to constitute harassment, but may consist of generalized unwelcome and inappropriate behaviors or communications based on one or more of the aforementioned protected categories.