Online Sexual Harassment and/or Retaliation

Online Sexual Harassment and/or Retaliation

The policies of CWC are written and interpreted broadly to include online manifestations of any of the behaviors prohibited below, when those behaviors occur in or have an effect on the Recipient’s education program and activities or use CWC networks, technology, or equipment. 

Although CWC may not control websites, social media, and other venues in which harassing communications are made, when such communications are reported to CWC, it will engage in a variety of means to address and mitigate the effects. 

Members of the community are encouraged to be good digital citizens and to refrain from online misconduct, such as feeding anonymous gossip sites, sharing inappropriate content via social media, unwelcome sexual or sex-based messaging, distributing or threatening to distribute revenge pornography, breaches of privacy, or otherwise using the ease of transmission and/or anonymity of the Internet or other technology to harm another member of the CWC community.

Any online posting or other electronic communication by students, including cyber-bullying, cyber-stalking, cyber-harassment, etc., occurring completely outside of the CWC’s control (e.g., not on CWC networks, websites, or between CWC email accounts) will only be subject to this procedure when such online conduct can be shown to cause a substantial in-program disruption or infringement on the rights of others. 

Otherwise, such communications are considered speech protected by the First Amendment. Supportive measures for Complainants will be provided, but protected speech cannot legally be subjected to discipline.

Off-campus harassing speech by employees, whether online or in person, may be regulated by the Recipient only when such speech is made in an employee’s official or work-related capacity.