• Code of Conduct
• Acceptable Use of Computing Resources

• Conflicting Consensual Relationships
• Employment of Family Members 
• Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation 

• Religious Exercise and Expression in the Workplace and Educational Environment 
• Accommodations 
• Public Access to OHSU Programs, Services and Activities
• Physical Access Committee
• Pregnant and Parenting at OHSU
• Service Animals
• Gender Designated Facilities
• Gender Designated Facilities FAQ

Discrimination is when someone treats people in unfair or harmful ways because they belong to or appear to belong to a protected group or category. Protected categories include:

• Age
• Pregnancy
• Disability
• Race
• Religion
• Sex, gender, gender expression
• Marital status
• Sexual orientation
• Military or veteran’s status
• National origin

Discrimination can be any behavior that affects employment, education or treatment or that creates a hostile environment.

Harassment is a form of discrimination that targets one person. Harassment can be verbal, visual, physical or any other type of behavior that intimidates, threatens or creates a hostile environment.

OCIC investigates reports of harassment based on protected categories (see discrimination above).

When someone experiences harassment that is not related to a protected category, other departments on campus will respond such as Human Resources, the Ombuds or an academic or administrative official. For example, when a member contacts the Ombuds, the Ombuds will listen, help identify options, and then make inquiries and referrals as appropriate. They may also facilitate resolutions in an impartial manner. 

If you experience harassment that is not related to a protected category:  

• Students may contact the Student CARE Program, the Ombuds, the office of the dean of your particular school or the Confidential Advocacy Program. 

• Employees may contact the Confidential Advocacy Program for Employees (CAPE), Human Resources, the Ombuds or the union that represents your employee group.  

Retaliation is a negative action taken against an OHSU member because they took part in a protected activity. Examples of protected activities are reporting a complaint or being part of an investigation.

Retaliation is a serious offense that can result in disciplinary action.

OHSU views reporting as a positive action and we take allegations of retaliation seriously. Learn how to report concerns of retaliation in the Reporting section of this guide. 

In general, privacy means you choose when, how and with whom to share personal information. You are able to choose what and how much information you share without pressure or judgment.

OHSU respects the privacy concerns of those who experience or witness harassment. OHSU also must keep the community safe and address incidents of alleged harassment that it knows about or reasonably should know about.

If you choose not to report an incident or not to take part in an investigation, you can contact OCIC for information and help to find support resources.

Confidentiality means that information you share about sexual assault or harassment cannot be revealed to anyone else without your permission. There are exceptions when there is immediate and serious concern about your safety or the safety of others.

Accessing confidential support resources can be a good first place to start if you have experienced discrimination, harassment or retaliation based on a protected characteristic or any form of sexual misconduct.

In common speech, consent means willingly agreeing to do something.

Legally, there are different types of consent. When it comes to sexual activity, consent is a knowing, voluntary and mutual decision among all participants to take part.

You can give consent by words or actions, as long as you show clear willingness and permission to engage in sexual activity. Silence or lack of resistance is not consent.

Your sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression do not change the definition of consent.

Sexual harassment is unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and other verbal or physical harassment related to sex. 

Sexual harassment does not have to involve strictly sexual behavior. For example, repeated and offensive comments about women or any gender can be sexual harassment. Harassers can be any gender. They can be supervisors, colleagues, peers or patients. 

Teasing and offhand comments are not usually covered under sexual harassment rules, but they can have lasting emotional effects. 

Examples of sexual harassment: 

• Frequent jokes or comments about sexual acts or sexual orientation
• Requests for sexual favors, whether stated or implied
• Making work or learning opportunities dependent on sexual favors
• Unwelcome sexual advances
• Unwanted physical contact or touching
• Unwanted or sexually explicit texts, photos or emails
• Talking about sexual acts, fantasies or stories

There are two types of sexual harassment: quid pro quo and hostile environment.

Quid pro quo ("this for that") is one type of sexual harassment. (The other is hostile environment.)

Quid pro quo is when someone makes known that your response to sexual advances, requests for sexual favors or other sexual behavior affects your work or academic experience. This includes hiring, promotions, raises, shift or work assignments, performance standards, grades, access to recommendations, and help with schoolwork, etc.

Hostile environment is one type of sexual harassment. (The other is quid pro quo.) Nonsexual unwelcome behavior can also create a hostile environment.

A hostile work or learning environment is one where there are frequent or severe events of prohibited behavior. The behavior may be verbal, nonverbal or physical. An employer, teacher, co-worker, vendor or fellow student can create a hostile environment.

A single or even several events may not always rise to the level of hostile environment. However, a single severe event may create a hostile environment. We evaluate each unique situation separately. In general, if unwelcome behavior happens often or is severe enough to interfere with work or learning, the environment is hostile.

Examples of potentially prohibited behavior include:

• Jokes or insults
• Unwelcome flirting
• Pornography
• Unwelcome hugging or kissing
• Repeated invitations for dates

A third person who observes sexual behavior among willing participants may be impacted by prohibited harassment.

Sexual misconduct is any sexual behavior or contact without willing consent. It’s important to know that some types of sexual misconduct are crimes, including sexual assault and exploitation.

Domestic violence is a pattern of behaviors used by one person to maintain power and control over another in a close or intimate relationship. The people may be married, living together or dating. They may be family members. Domestic violence is also called intimate partner violence, domestic abuse and relationship abuse.

Domestic violence can happen to people of any race, gender, age, religion or sexual orientation. The abuse may be physical, emotional, verbal, financial or spiritual. The abuser may physically harm the other person or cause fear to control their behavior.

Examples of domestic violence are: 

• Punching, strangling, shoving or harming your body
• Threatening to harm or kill you or themselves
• Gaslighting
• Jeopardizing your employment by stalking you at work
• Controlling the money in your relationship or household

This type of domestic violence is abusive and controlling behavior in a romantic relationship. The abuse can be verbal, emotional, physical, sexual or any combination of these elements.

As with other kinds of sexual misconduct, dating violence can happen to anyone. If you are in this situation, you are not to blame. Your abusive partner may try to control you by: 

• Calling or texting constantly to monitor you 
• Not letting you spend time with your friends, or demanding that you cut off contact with your friends
• Threatening to hurt you, themself or someone else if you don’t do what they say 
• Shoving, hitting, kicking or harming your body
• Forcing you to have sex or perform other sexual acts

Stalking is when someone continues to contact another person in ways they don’t want, even after they are told that the contact is not wanted.   

For example, a stalker may:  

• Send unwanted cards, gifts, letters, texts or emails 
• Follow you and show up where you are 
• Damage your property 
• Drive by or hang out at your school, workplace or home  
• Do or say anything else to try to control, track or frighten you 

A stalker may be a stranger to you. You are not to blame for being stalked. 

Trauma is psychological or emotional effects after distressing or disturbing experiences. We all process events and experiences differently, so trauma is different for everyone. No one knows how they will react in a difficult situation.

Sexual misconduct can lead to trauma. You may experience it as: 

• Intense feelings of guilt, as if the experience was somehow your fault
• Flashbacks
• Anger
• Unpredictable or unstable emotions
• Feelings of despair or isolation