Sexual Harassment

Sexual Harassment, as an umbrella category, means conduct on the basis of sex or is sexual in nature that satisfies one or more of the following:

1. Quid Pro Quo Harassment: When an IWU employee requests, offers, or suggests a sexual favor in exchange for a university-provided aid, benefit, or service.
2. Hostile Educational Environment: Unwelcome conduct determined by a Reasonable Person to be so severe, pervasive, or objectively offensive that it effectively limits a person’s ability to participate in or benefit from the academic, educational, extra-curricular, athletic, or other programs of IWU.
3. Sexual Assault: Any sexual act directed against another person without Consent (see below for definition of Consent). Sexual acts include, but are not limited to, oral, anal, or vaginal intercourse or penetration, to any degree, with any part of the body or other object, or requiring another person to penetrate themselves with a body part or an object. Sexual acts also include touching, either directly or through clothing, of the private body parts of another person including, but not limited to, contact with the breasts, buttocks, groin, genitals, or other intimate part of another person’s body for the purpose of sexual gratification. Sexual acts also include sexual intercourse between persons who are related to each other within the degrees wherein marriage is prohibited by law.
4. Dating Violence: means violence committed by a person who is or has been in a social relationship of a romantic or intimate nature. The existence of such a relationship will be determined by the length of the relationship, the type of relationship, and the frequency of interaction between the people involved in the relationship. For the purposes of this definition, Dating Violence includes, but is not limited to, sexual or physical abuse or the threat of such abuse. It should be understood that Dating Violence applies to any pattern of coercive behavior that is used by one person to gain power and control over another. This pattern of behavior may include physical or sexual violence, emotional and psychological intimidation, threats, verbal abuse, stalking, isolation, and economic control.
5. Domestic Violence: means violence or the threat of violence committed by an individual toward another who is a current or former spouse, is or has cohabitated with the individual as an intimate partner, has a child in common with the individual, is similarly situated to a spouse of the individual under state domestic or family violence laws or is an adult or youth who is protected from that individual’s acts under the state domestic or family violence laws. It should be understood that Domestic Violence applies to any pattern of coercive behavior that is used by one person to gain power and control over another. This pattern of behavior may include physical or sexual violence, emotional and psychological intimidation, threats, verbal abuse, stalking, isolation, and economic control.
6. Stalking: means engaging in a Course of Conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a Reasonable Person to fear for his or her safety or the safety of others; or suffer Substantial Emotional Distress.

Consent requires voluntary, informed and freely given agreement, communicated through mutually understandable words and/or actions, to engage in a sexual activity at a specific time. See the Title IX policy for additional information.