In keeping with its commitment to maintaining an environment that is free of unlawful discrimination and in keeping with its legal obligations, UAB prohibits unlawful harassment (and discouraging conduct that, while not unlawful, could reasonably be considered unwelcome).
Under the law, sexual harassment does not refer to occasional compliments or conduct of a socially acceptable nature. Nor does it refer to the use of materials or discussion related to sex and/or gender for scholarly purposes appropriate to the academic context. It does refer to non-academic remarks or actions of a sexual nature that are not welcome and are likely to be viewed as personally offensive. This can include but is not limited to any of the following activities that are unwelcome by the recipient: physical or verbal advances; sexual flirtations; propositions; verbal abuse of a sexual nature; vulgar talk or jokes; degrading graphic materials or verbal comments of a sexual nature about an individual or his or her appearance; the display of sexually suggestive objects outside a scholarly context and purpose; and physical contact of a sexual or particularly personal nature.
UAB’s policy prohibits discriminatory harassment of a non-sexual nature, which includes verbal, physical, or graphic conduct that denigrates or shows hostility or aversion toward an individual or group on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability unrelated to job performance, veteran status, genetic or family medical history, or other status protected by applicable law and that
* Has the purpose or effect of creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive employment, educational, or living environment; or
* Has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance or a student’s academic performance. … Prohibited behavior may, for example, include conduct or material (physical, oral, written, or graphic, including e-mail messages, text messaging or use of social media posted or circulated in the community) involving epithets, slurs, negative stereotyping, or threatening, intimidating, or hostile acts, that serves no scholarly purpose appropriate to the academic context and gratuitously denigrates or shows hostility or aversion toward an individual or group because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, disability unrelated to program performance, veteran status, genetic or family medical history, or any factor protected by applicable law.