Did you know that VHS can press charges on you for calling a classmate hot?
Under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, sexual harassment in schools is illegal. The Equal Rights Advocates define sexual harassment as “unwelcome verbal, visual, or physical conduct of a sexual nature that is severe or pervasive and affects working conditions or creates a hostile work [or school] environment.”
Calling someone hot fits this definition. Senior Lou Capurso disagrees, saying “No! That’s flattering!” He says that being called hot boosts your self-esteem. But this just means that in Lou’s case, someone who said this to him would not be harassing him sexual harassment has to be unwelcome.
When a comment is unwelcome is a gray area for most students. “It depends how serious they are,” said senior Joanna Eliasof. If someone is clearly joking, the comment is acceptable to her. If the comment seems to be intended seriously, the context changes. Senior Colleen Carr’s feeling is that if she is close with the person who calls her hot, it is acceptable, but if she does not know the person very well, it changes the situation.
“No one tells a girl she looks pretty,” said junior Gabi Mercurio, who believes a more sincere word like “pretty” makes a comment of that nature more acceptable. She said she would be uncomfortable if a guy constantly told her she looked hot. So in her case, this is sexual harassment.
What happens to someone if they feel they have been sexually harassed? They can either go to Student Assistance Counselor Dana Lustig or Affirmative Action Officer Elizabeth Skinner.
The Affirmative Action Officer’s job is to create a safe environment for all students, faculty, and staff at Verona Public Schools. Mrs. Skinner has to review all curriculum, including books read and movies watched in classes, to determine if it discriminates any gender, religion, ethnic group, or sexual orientation. She also investigates sexual harassment complaints.
“Holding your sexuality or your identity over someone else’s” is Mrs. Skinner’s personal definition of sexual harassment. She says that it is really a matter of respecting other people in the building and respecting their rights.
While not a major problem at Verona Schools, sexual harassment does happen. Mrs. Skinner says that it is mostly student to student harassment, due to a “lack of understanding” of what the students are doing to each other. Adult to adult and adult to student harassment has happened in the past as well, but not as much as student to student.
When a sexual harassment complaint is investigated, the first thing the Affirmative Action Officer does is determine if the accused has a pattern of sexual harassment or if this is a first time offense. If it is a pattern, it is reported to the police. If it is a first time offense, it is only reported to the police if it severe enough.
Following the police report, the victim as well as the school can press charges against the accused. The court creates the punishment at this point.
“You will be fired, and you won’t find a new job.” is what Mrs. Skinner says happens to adults who are found guilty of sexual harassment. There is a zero tolerance policy for adults in the district.
“Step back and think about this.” is Mrs. Skinner’s advice to prevent sexual harassment. If what you want to do or say could be misunderstood, be safe and don’t do it.