Humber's Sexual Assault and Sexual Violence Policy outlines the responsibility of Humber community members to prevent and respond to sexual violence. It is important that all students, staff and faculty familiarize themselves with the Sexual Assault and Sexual Violence Policy and Procedures which can be accessed here: https://humber.ca/legal-and-risk-management/policies/general-administration/sexual-assault-and-sexual-violence-policy.html
What is Sexual Harassment?
Sexual Harassment: A form of sexual violence prohibited by the Ontario Human Rights Code (Code). Sexual harassment is defined as a course of vexatious comment or conduct based on an individual’s sex and/or gender that is known or ought to be known as unwelcome. Under Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), workplace harassment has been expanded to include workplace sexual harassment, which may or may not include:
- engaging in a course of vexatious comment or conduct against a worker in a workplace because of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity (including transgender) or gender expression, where the course of comments or conduct is known or ought reasonably to be known to be unwelcome; or
- making a sexual solicitation or advance where the person making the solicitation or advance is in a position to confer, grant or deny a benefit or advancement to the worker and the person knows or ought reasonably to know that the solicitation or advance is unwelcome.
Gender-based harassment is a subset of sexual harassment and prohibited by the Code. It refers to behaviours that regulate and reinforce traditional heterosexual gender norms.
Examples of behaviors of sexual harassment includes but is not limited to:
- any deliberate and unsolicited sexual comment, suggestion or physical contact that creates an uncomfortable learning, working and living environment for the recipient and is made by a person who knows or ought reasonably to know that such action is unwelcome;
- a reprisal or threat of reprisal for the rejection of a sexual solicitation or advance where the reprisal is made or threatened by a person in a position to confer, grant or deny a benefit or advancement to the person;
- unwelcome remarks, jokes, sexual innuendoes or taunting about a person's body, attire, sex, personal or social life;
- practical jokes of a sexual nature which cause awkwardness or embarrassment;
- displaying and/or distributing pornographic pictures or other offensive material of a sexual nature, either in print or electronic form;
- leering (suggestive staring) or other gestures;
- unnecessary physical contact such as touching, patting or pinching;
- expressions of gender bias which may include remarks that are discriminatory, degrading or derogatory and create a poisoned work environment;
- requests for sexual favours; and/or
- sexual assault.
Please note that the behaviours and actions described above are not an exhaustive list of examples of sexual harassment.
If you would like to make a formal report of having experienced sexual assault and sexual violence, please call:
- Department of Public Safety at 416.675.6622 x8500
- Director, Centre for Human Rights, Equity and Diversity at 416.675.6622 x4425