Sexual harassment is far broader than a threat along the lines, "If you want to keep your job, you’ll have to go to bed with me." Supervisors, co-employees, or even customers and vendors can sexally harass an employee. Courts and agencies — after considering all of the circumstances in the particular cases — have found the following types of conduct to be illegal sexual harassment:

(1) repeated sexual innuendo, obscene or off-color jokes, slurs, lewd remarks and language, and other offensive sexual comments;

(2) content in letters and notes, facsimiles, e-mail, graffiti that is of a sexual nature or sexually abusive;

(3) sexual propositions, insults, and threats;

(4) sexually-oriented demeaning names;

(5) persistent unwanted sexual or romantic overtures or attention;

(6) leering, whistling, or other sexually suggestive sounds or gestures;

(7) displaying pornographic pictures, calendars, cartoons, or other sexual material in the workplace;

(8) coerced or unwelcome touching, patting, brushing up against, pinching, kissing, stroking, massaging, squeezing, fondling, or tickling;

(9) subtle or overt pressure for sexual favors;

(10) coerced sexual intercourse (e.g., as a condition of employment or academic status).

(Reviewed 9-08)