Do Institutions Need a Separate Grievance Procedure for Sexual Harassment Complaints?
While academic institutions are required by Title IX to have a grievance procedure for sexual harassment complaints, this need not be a separate procedure. Complaints of sexual harassment may be heard under a general grievance procedure that serves to highlight the importance of the issue may be preferable, depending on the context, size, situation, reputation, and history of sexual harassment at he institution. A large number of postsecondary institutions have separate sexual harassment grievance procedures. 3. Where Is the Line Between Acceptable Social Interaction (Flirting) and Sexual Harassment? The critical element in sexual harassment is unwanted sexual attention. Some instances of sexual harassment, including quid pro quo harassment, appear to be clear cut. However, sexual harassment has a subjective component, and behavior that may be welcome and experienced as flirting by one person may be frightening and harassing to someone else. The courts are struggling to find a “reasona
