job, association with a person with a            3.	 Statements, comments, jokes,        protections are also available under the  disability or handicap, military status,              questions, or anecdotes of a       State Officials and Employees Ethics  source of income, housing status, or any              sexual nature that a reasonable    Act, the Whistleblower Act, and/or the  other category protected by laws, will                person would find intimidating,    Illinois Human Rights Act.  not be tolerated.                                     hostile, or offensive.                                                                                           The College will take all necessary  Definitions of Harassment                   Discrimination and harassment on             steps to protect the rights of both                                              the basis of any other protected             the complainant and the alleged  Gender discrimination and sexual            characteristic is also strictly prohibited.  harasser. The College will annually  harassment includes, but is not limited     Under this policy, harassment is any         advise students, employees, faculty,  to, gender-specific comments, verbal        unwelcome conduct on the basis of            administrators, staff, and other members  innuendo, insults, threats and jokes of     an individual’s actual or perceived          of the College community of its policy  a sexual nature, sexual propositions,       race, color, religion, national origin,      prohibiting discrimination, sexual and  making sexually-suggestive noises,          ancestry, age, sex, marital status, order    other harassment, and retaliation.  leering, whistling, obscene gestures,       of protection status, disability, military  touching or brushing the body, coercing     status, sexual orientation, pregnancy,       Reporting Discrimination,  sexual intercourse, sexual assault, or      unfavorable discharge from military          Investigation Procedures,  any behaviors or actions which might        service, citizenship status, or any other    and Corrective Measures  create a sexually hostile environment.      category protected by law and that: (1)  Sexual harassment may involve               has the performance or experience; (2)       The College strongly urges the reporting  individuals of the same gender.             has the purpose or effect of creating        of all incidents of discrimination,                                              an intimidating, hostile or offensive        harassment and retaliation. Any student  Sexual advances, requests for sexual        environment; or (3) otherwise adversely      who believes that he or she has been  favors, or other verbal or physical         affects an individual’s education or         discriminated against or harassed,  conduct of a sexual nature constitute       employment opportunities or working          should report such incidents to the  harassment when:                            conditions.                                  appropriate Vice-President, the Title                                                                                           IX Coordinator, or the Executive       1.	 Submission to such conduct is      Harassing conduct includes but is not        Dean of Student Services. The            deemed to be either explicitly    limited to: epithets, slurs, or negative     College has designated the Academic            or implicitly a term or           stereotyping; threatening, intimidating,     Advisor – Transfer Specialist as the            condition of an individual’s      or hostile acts; denigrating jokes and       Title IX Coordinator. Any employee            employment or education;          display or circulation (including through    who believes that he or she has been                                              e-mail) of written or graphic material       discriminated against or harassed should       2.	 Submission to, or rejection        that denigrates or shows hostility or        report such incidents to their immediate            of, such conduct by an            aversion toward an individual or group.      supervisor and the Human Resources            individual is deemed to be                                                     Administrator. In addition, individuals            used as the basis for academic    Conduct prohibited by this policy            covered by this policy have a right to            or employment decisions           on campus, in any College related            file claims of sexual discrimination and            affecting that individual; or     setting, or any off-campus College           harassment with the Illinois Department                                              event or activity, such as during trips,     of Human Rights and/or the Equal       3.	 Such conduct has the purpose,      conferences, meetings, athletic contests,    Employment Opportunity Commission            or effect, of unreasonable        and College-related social events.           (EEOC). All reports or complaints            interfering with an individual’s                                               will be promptly, fully, and fairly            academic or work performance      Retaliation is Prohibited                    investigated. Where discrimination and/            or creating an intimidating,                                                   or harassment is determined to have            hostile, or offensive             Any person who, in good faith, brings        occurred, appropriate remedial and            educational or employment         forth a complaint of sexual or other         corrective action will be taken. The            environment.                      harassment will not be subject to            decision of the investigation will be                                              retaliation. The College absolutely          communicated to both parties.  Examples of behavior that would be          prohibits retaliation against any  considered sexual harassment include        individual who reports discrimination        Board members and elected officials  but are not limited to, the following:      or harassment, participates in an            should report claims of sexual                                              investigation of such a report, or           harassment against a member of the       1. 	 A pattern of conduct that a       engages in any other protected activity.     Board to the President. The President            reasonable person would           Any student, employee or other person        shall, in consultation with legal            find intimidating, hostile,       who retaliates against an individual for     counsel for the College, ensure that an            or offensive, i.e. gestures,      reporting harassment or discrimination,      independent review is conducted with            facial expressions, speech, or    for participating in an investigation of a   respect to such allegations.            physical conduct of a sexual      claim or harassment or discrimination,            nature;                           or for engaging in any other form of         Appeals                                              protected activity, like an employee       2.	 Direct or implied threats          who engages in harassment or                 An employee may appeal to the College            that submission to sexual         discrimination, will be subject to           President if he/she disagrees with the            advances will be a condition      disciplinary action. Whistleblower           decision of the investigation or the            of employment, work status,            promotion, grades, or letters of            recommendation;    48