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Preventing & Responding to Harassment and Mistreatment in the
Medical School
Lawrencina Mason OramaluAssociate to the Director
Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action
September 22, 2009
Agenda
• EOAA Overview
• Nurturing the H.E.A.L.T.H. of the Medical School
• Mistreatment and Harassment
• It’s All About R.E.S.P.E.C.T.
• Resources
Medical School Mission & Values
• Mission– Committed to innovation and diversity– Educates physicians, scientists, and health
professionals– Generates knowledge and treatments– Cares for patients and communities with
compassion and respect.
• Values:– Excellence– Inclusiveness– Collaboration– Discovery
Fulfilling the Medical School Mission by Focusing on H.E.A.L.T.H.
• Humanity
• Excellence
• Acceptance
• Leadership
• Temperament
• Honesty
Who Gets Harassed Most Often
• Students and other persons in menial or low-level jobs
• Females in non-traditional fields
• Women in graduate school
• Women and girls of color
• Young, inexperienced, unassertive, socially isolated individuals
• Lesbian and gay persons
• Persons with disabilities, physical or emotional
• Undergraduate assistants or young female teachers at the college or high school level
Who is Most Likely to Be Harassed
• 62% of female college students and 61% of male college students report having been sexually harassed at their university.
• 66% of college students know someone personally who was harassed.
• 10% or less of sexual harassment victims attempt to report their experiences to a university employee.
• 35% or more of college students who experience sexual harassment do not tell anyone about their experience.
Source: AAUW Educational Foundation’s Drawing the Line report
Who is Most Likely to File a Sexual Harassment Complaint in the EOAA Office?
Source: 2006-2008 EOAA Office Statistics
Who is the EOAA Complaint Likely to Be Filed Against?
Source: 2006-2008 EOAA Office Statistics
Medical School Complaints (2005 – 2009)
What is Sexual Harassment?
• Sexual harassment is unwanted or gender based behavior that occurs when one person has formal or informal power over the other.
What is Sexual Harassment?
Quid Pro Quo Hostile Environment
• Atmosphere that interferes with work or school
• Repeated behavior
• Strong preventive measures and clear and effective complaint process can be a defense
• Monetary damages available
• Something tangible given or withheld
• One instance is enough
• Liable if employee subjected to change in status
• Liable for student harassment – knowledge, failure to respond & indifference
• Monetary damages available
Belittlement and Harassment Among Medical Students
Where Should People File Complaints?
See Handout
EthicsPoint Reporting:To access by phone call toll-free 1-866-294-8680
To access by Web go to www.Ureport.ethicspoint.com
Where Should People Report Complaints in the Medical School?
• Graduate Advisor
• Course Director
• Mary Tate, Director of Minority Affairs and Diversity
• Dr. Ted Thompson, Director of Clinical Education
• Dr. Kathleen Watson, Associate Dean of Students & Student Learning
Why Don’t People Report Harassment?
• Embarrassment• Belief that the behavior will end
if ignored• Fear of losing one’s job or
status• Fear of retaliation• Fear of being blamed for inviting
the harassment• Concern about not being
believed
• Concern about being labeled a troublemaker
• Fear of harmful rumors and loss of privacy
• Conviction that nothing will be done about the problem
• Fear that the complaint process could be worse than the harassment
Why Don’t People Don’t Report Harassment? (2)
Why Should the Medical School Address Harassment and Mistreatment?
• Lower productivity • Lower efficiency• Increased absenteeism and
turnover • Court awards, settlements
and fees• Damage to an institution’s
public image• Deterioration of morale• Damage to both alleged
victim and perpetrator
R RESPOND
E ENCOURAGE
S SUPPORT
P PROTECT
E EDUCATE
C COMMUNICATE
T TAKE
Preventing & Responding to Harassment: It’s All About R.E.S.P.E.C.T
Take Action
• Provide complainants with techniques to handle the harassment on their own. Ex. Letter to Harasser
• Address inappropriate behavior when you see or hear it
• Initiate activities to increase everyone’s awareness.
• Have a person of weight and authority speak to the offender.
Letter to Harasser
• Provide a factual account of what happened
• Describe how the incident(s) made you feel.
• Explain what you want to happen next.
• Deliver the letter in person or mail it.
• Keep a copy
Example of Letter to Harasser(See Handout X)
Dear Dr./Mr./Ms. xxx:
Six days ago, you commented on my arms and shoulders, told me I would probably look “dazzling” and “extremely inviting”…. I told you I was not interested in a social relationship and that I would prefer that you not comment about my body and clothing.
This morning, you brushed up against me as we passed in the hallway …
Your persistent comments on my clothing and requests to meet socially are upsetting to me and, as I have made clear, are unwelcome. …
If you are unwilling to comply with my request to conduct yourself more acceptably in the workplace, I will ask our HR/EOAA Office to investigate.
Resource Materials (1)
• Experiences of Belittlement and Harassment and Their Correlates Among Medical Students in the United States
• Medical Student Abuse: A Student’s Perspective
• Mistreatment of Trainees: Verbal Abuse and Other Bullying Behaviors
• Reporting Compliance Concerns/Flowchart
Resource Materials (2)
• Sexual Harassment in Medical Education: Liability and Protection
• UMN Medical School Mistreatment Policy
• When Bad Things Happen in the Learning Environment
• You Learn Better Under the Gun: Intimidation and Harassment in Surgical Education
Thank You
Office of Equal Opportunity & Affirmative Action
274 McNamara Center
200 Oak Street SE
Minneapolis, MN
612-624-9547
http://www.eoaa.umn.edu/