Unmasking the Problem of Staff-on-Staff Harassment in Higher Ed

When it comes to workplace settings in virtually every industry and sector, harassment among coworkers is a considerable risk.

‘Harassment is a form of discrimination. It is illegal on the same grounds that discrimination is illegal -- such as sex, race, age or disability,’ said Hillary Pettegrew, senior risk management counsel for United Educators (UE).

Accordingly, harassment in the higher education space is a risk that all colleges and universities should have on their radar. ‘It’s certainly relevant,’ said Jay Sheehan, national management liability practice account director for Risk Strategies.

‘With regard to educators’ legal liability, the majority of claims arise from employment practices liability (EPL) incidents and not from failure to educate allegations. A significant portion of the EPL claims involve harassment of some type,’ he said.