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College: Sexual harassment via hostile/sexual language to another student?

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Costanza

Junior Member
What is the name of your state? California

I realize this isn't labor related but I think the sexual harassment laws should be the same under this situation.

I attend a California State University and I was in a class with a teacher's assistant as the teacher for it (it was the lab portion of a biology class).

We went on a greenhouse tour so it was outdoors, and half the class split up to take turns going. I was in the first group. For some reason, I can't remember the specifics of why but one student, who happens to be in the army or military or something, had to climb over a fence, and the TA (Teachers assistant) called him a Pussy. Then he turned to the rest of the group and said "Military people hate it when you call them that"

Apparently some kind of joke I suppose but against university policy none the less? Sexual Harassment even?
 


stevek3

Member
Costanza said:
What is the name of your state? California

I realize this isn't labor related but I think the sexual harassment laws should be the same under this situation.

I attend a California State University and I was in a class with a teacher's assistant as the teacher for it (it was the lab portion of a biology class).

We went on a greenhouse tour so it was outdoors, and half the class split up to take turns going. I was in the first group. For some reason, I can't remember the specifics of why but one student, who happens to be in the army or military or something, had to climb over a fence, and the TA (Teachers assistant) called him a Pussy. Then he turned to the rest of the group and said "Military people hate it when you call them that"

Apparently some kind of joke I suppose but against university policy none the less? Sexual Harassment even?
It's sexual harassment because somebody kiddingly refers to a macho military guy as being a wimp? Uhhh...O.K.
 

stephenk

Senior Member
Was the military guy upset? Were you the only one to take offense? Remember "pussy" also means kitty cat.
 

Costanza

Junior Member
Yeah I was offended
I had already planned on bringing it up but only when the semester was over
I don't know about anyone else

I don't think it was meant as a cat reference trust me
 

stevek3

Member
stephenk said:
Was the military guy upset? Were you the only one to take offense? Remember "pussy" also means kitty cat.
What if somebody at California State called GI Joe a "neutered Abyssinian." Lawsuit?
 

BelizeBreeze

Senior Member
Costanza said:
I'm not talking lawsuit
I"m just saying isn't this inappropiate for a class?
And what would you say if someone came up to you and said they couldn't stand you because you liked like a dike who couldn't get any? Or "hey, you've got balls."

If you're in college then go to the library and crack a book now and then. It just also might occur to you to read the Constitution.

As to inappropriate, that's an internal decision for the school, NOT this forum.
 

Beth3

Senior Member
Is not using abusive language like that creating a hostile enviroment with sexual language abuse? No. A single instance of someone saying something rude does not rise to the level of sex discrimination, sexual harassment, or a hostile work environment. Not even close.
 

HomeGuru

Senior Member
Costanza said:
Yeah I was offended
I had already planned on bringing it up but only when the semester was over
I don't know about anyone else

I don't think it was meant as a cat reference trust me

**A: Ok, what would have been any different had the guy been called a vagina?
 

cbg

I'm a Northern Girl
None of which changes the fact that a single instance does not a case make.
 

stevek3

Member
Costanza said:
I'm not talking lawsuit
I"m just saying isn't this inappropiate for a class?
I honestly don't know. I'll have to ask some of my crack staff over at California State to research the issue for me....Oh, oh. Now I've done it. I've just accused my staff of being on crack. Do you think I should settle with them before they sue?
 

cbg

I'm a Northern Girl
There's a considerable gap between "inappropriate" and "sexual harassment". It's entirely possible to be the former without meeting the definition of the latter.
 

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