Edmonds Community College provides equal opportunity in education and employment and does not discriminate on the basis of protected classes as required by state and federal law. Prohibited discrimination and/or harassment of protected classes includes sexual harassment.

(1) Harassment is defined, for the purpose of this policy, as unwelcome and unauthorized incidents and/or patterns of conduct or speech that are:

(a) Persistent, pervasive, or severe; and

(b) Based on an association or perceived association with a protected class and which:

(i) The respondent either knows, or should know, will have the effect of making the college environment hostile, intimidating, or demeaning to the complainant; and

(ii) Renders the college environment (including the environment for employees, students, and visitors) hostile, intimidating, or demeaning for the complainant.

(2) Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination. Sexual harassment is defined, for the purpose of this policy, as unwelcome sexual advances, requests, and other unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature where:

(a) Submission to such conduct is made, either expressly or implicitly, a term or condition of an individual's employment or education; or

(b) Submission or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment or educational decisions affecting any individual; or

(c) Such unwelcome conduct is sufficiently persistent, pervasive, or severe to have the effect of substantially interfering with any individual's academic or professional performance.

(3) Sexual harassment conduct includes, but is not limited to, engaging in unwelcome sexual advances; requesting sexual favors; engaging in other sexual behaviors including verbal, nonverbal, electronic or social media communication; or physically touching that would create an intimidating, hostile, or offensive educational environment or substantially interfere with a reasonable person's work or educational performance.