The US Supreme Court ruled on March 4 that the existing federal law that bans on-the-job sexual harassment also applies when the harasser and victim are of the same sex.

UCSF has actually been ahead of the curve on this issue, expanding its sexual harassment policy in 1996 to include language pertaining to same-sex harassment. In fact, the Office of Sexual Harassment Prevention and Resolution has sponsored seminars for advisors and the campus community to discuss the issue.

"The seminars seemed timely to do given the evolution of this topic in the workplace," said Alma Sisco-Smith, program director.

When UCSF's policy was revised in 1993, it was, at that time, "forward-thinking," Sisco-Smith says. But it did not include language about same-gender harassment because that protection was not clearly delineated by state and city labor codes, she said. Soon after the revised policy was enacted, more incidences of same-gender harassment began to be reported, not only at UCSF but also throughout the country's workplaces.

Same-gender harassment does not seem to be rampant at UCSF or at the other UC campuses, Sisco-Smith said. However, at UCSF, five of the 51 active cases from 1996-1997 concerned people of the same sex.

The same-gender sexual harassment seminars are being held mainly to educate the UCSF community about the legal definition of harassment, UCSF's harassment policy and how harassment can be played out between people of the same gender. The presentations include people acting out scenarios of harassment and reviewing UCSF's policy, which is aimed at curbing inappropriate behaviors before they meet the legal definition of harassment.

Sisco-Smith said more education is needed. Managers, supervisors and faculty have definite responsibility and liability on the issue, she said.

"If same-gender cases get perceived or evaluated differently, that's the frailty piece," Sisco-Smith said. "There's some indication that we're not consistently handling this issue."

Links:

• UCSF Office of Sexual Harassment Prevention and Resolution

• SF Chronicle article on Supreme Court Decision

by Paula Murphy

1st appeared 3/19/98

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