NUMBER:   EOP 1.03

SECTION:  Equal Opportunity Programs    



SUBJECT:  Discriminatory Harassment 



DATE:     September 19, 2001

                     

Policy for:     All Campuses

Procedure for:  All Campuses

Authorized by:  Bobby D. Gist

Issued by:      Equal Opportunity Programs



________________________________________________________________



I.   POLICY



The University of South Carolina is committed to a policy of affirmative action/equal 

opportunity and non-discrimination on the basis of race, gender, age, color, religion, 

national origin, disability or veteran status.  This commitment applies to all academic 

and non-academic personnel matters and to educational access for all persons including 

employees, prospective employees, students, prospective students and other persons 

utilizing the University’s programs and facilities.  



The University of South Carolina is committed to ensuring that all persons are able 

to learn, work and enjoy a workplace, educational and living environment that is free 

from discriminatory harassment, treatment or services.  



Harassment of any person or group of persons on the basis of race, color, national 

origin, religion, gender, age, disability or veteran status is a form of illegal 

discrimination prohibited by University policy, state law and federal law.  Harassment 

of any person or group of persons on the basis of race, color, national origin, 

religion, gender, age, disability or veteran status will not be tolerated by the 

University of South Carolina.  



Any employee, student, student organization or person pursuing their education at 

the University of South Carolina who violates this policy shall be subjected to 

disciplinary action up to and including termination and expulsion from the University. 



Discriminatory harassment includes conduct (oral, written, graphic, or physical) 

directed against any person or group of persons because of race, color, national 

origin, religion, gender, age, disability or veteran’s status that has the purpose 

or reasonably foreseeable effect of creating an offensive, demeaning, intimidating, 

or hostile environment for that person or group of persons.  Such conduct includes, 

but is not limited to, objectionable epithets, demeaning depictions or treatment, 

and threatened or actual abuse or harm. 



In addition, the University of South Carolina Sexual Harassment Policy includes 

unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical 

conduct of a sexual nature when:


Submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term 

or condition of an individual’s employment or a student’s status in a course, 

program or activity. 

Submission to or rejection of such conduct by an employee or student is 

used as the basis for employment or academic decisions affecting that employee 

or student.  

Such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with 

an employee’s work performance or a student’s academic performance or creates 

an intimidating, hostile or offensive employment, educational or living 

environment.



All University Vice Presidents, Deans, Department Chairpersons, managers and 

supervisors shall take appropriate steps to disseminate this harassment policy 

statement and inform employees and students of procedures for lodging complaints.  

All members of the student body, faculty and staff are expected to assist in 

implementing this policy.



The scholarly, educational or artistic content of any written, oral, or other 

presentation or inquiry shall not be limited by this Policy.  It is the intent of 

this paragraph that academic freedom shall be allowed all members of the academic 

community.  Accordingly, this provision of academic freedom shall be liberally 

construed but shall not be used as a pretextual basis for violation of this Policy.  



II. Procedure:



Any student, prospective student, employee or prospective employee with a complaint 

of discriminatory harassment should contact the Office of Equal Opportunity Programs 

to obtain information on the procedure for handling such complaints.  Any questions 

regarding either this policy statement or specific fact situation should be addressed 

to the Office of Equal Opportunity Programs, 1600 Hampton Street, Suite 805, 

Columbia, SC  29208, (803) 777-3854.

If you are a student, staff or faculty member or applicant and need to file a complaint of discrimination, please contact Rhonda Y. Edwards.

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URL http://www.sc.edu/policies/eop103.html