{"id":3056,"date":"2017-10-30T16:47:12","date_gmt":"2017-10-30T20:47:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/discriminationandsexualharassmentlawyers.com\/?p=3056"},"modified":"2019-11-26T17:21:14","modified_gmt":"2019-11-26T17:21:14","slug":"penn-students-seek-better-sexual-harassment-policies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.discriminationandsexualharassmentlawyers.com\/es\/penn-students-seek-better-sexual-harassment-policies\/","title":{"rendered":"Penn Students Seek Better Sexual Harassment Policies"},"content":{"rendered":"

Penn Students Seek Better Sexual Harassment Policies
\nPHILADELPHIA, PA<\/strong> \u2013 Five graduate students at University of Pennsylvania\u2019s Graduate School of Education (\u201cGSE\u201d) have started a petition to improve the universities sexual harassment <\/a>policies due to several instances of sexual harassment by faculty. The petition specifically addressed Dean Pam Grossman, calling her to \u201cinform the GSE community as soon as possible about actions [she has] taken or [plans] to take to ensure that GSE students are safe from sexual harassment.<\/a>\u201d
\nCurrently, the petition has at least 92 signatures of the university\u2019s students, faculty, and alumni.
\nThe petition cited a 2015 Association of American Universities Campus Climate Survey that found over 42% of female University of Pennsylvania graduate students reported being the victims of sexual harassment.\u00a0 Shockingly, it was found that graduate students were more likely than undergraduate students to identify university faculty members as their sexual harassers.<\/a>
\nWhat is concerning is the real fears graduate students have of retaliation. The petition notes that “Especially for graduate students who work for Penn, the power and supervisory role of faculty can make reporting difficult and retaliation a serious threat.\u201d
\nOne of the petition’s authors is Ph.D. student Miranda Weinberg. Weinberg explained that for graduate students sexually harassed by their professors in the workplace found reporting procedures unclear and expressed.<\/a> Additionally, victims expressed doubt the university would keep their complaints confidential.
\nWeinberg noted that \u201cThere is a pattern of faculty members behaving inappropriately toward graduate students, in ways that are particularly upsetting because of the power imbalance between faculty and graduates. She continued citing the media\u2019s attention to sexual harassment in recent weeks, \u201cWe want to be sure that Penn is not the subject of the next one of these articles.\u201d
\nThe University of Pennsylvania\u2019s policies are not necessarily subpar in comparison to schools, it is simply that their policy is not effective enough. While the school\u2019s petitioners can\u2019t change the world overnight, they at least want to make a significant change on their own campus.
\n\u201cWhen we sought to address issues within GSE, we were concerned about what is the footprint of these policies at GSE, how are they implemented at GSE, who do people go to within GSE when they\u2019re reporting a case and how is that going to be resolved,\u201d fellow graduate student and co-petition writer Mark Lewis.
\nOnce there is traction within GSE, the group hopes to move on to other graduate programs on campus, as it is not an isolated problem. One graduate student from the School of Arts and Sciences was sexual harassment by a colleague, and because of her lack of confidence in University\u2019s response, she left her Ph.D. program altogether.
\nClearly, the petition and the students\u2019 advocacy are needed and their efforts should be applauded. Especially, when we live in a time where the nations own Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, plans to roll back former President Obama\u2019s guidance on Title IX in universities.
\nIf you feel you have suffered discrimination or sexual harassment on the job or at your college campus contact one of our Philadelphia sexual harassment attorneys<\/a> at the Derek Smith Law Group, PLLC today for a free consultation. Our attorneys have years of experience litigating claims of gender discrimination. Working together with our New York City sexual harassment attorneys, we have recovered millions on behalf of our clients who were discriminated against because of their gender. If you feel you have been discriminated against because of your gender, please give our attorneys a call at (800) 807-2209 for a free consultation.<\/p>\n

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Call today to schedule a FREE sexual harassment<\/a> or employment discrimination<\/a> legal Consultation in NY, NJ & PA with one of our top rated employment law or sexual harassment attorneys here at the Derek Smith Law Group. You can\u00a0reach us online<\/a>\u00a0or by calling <\/strong>. Our New York City, New Jersey and Philadelphia labor & employment law attorneys handle a variety of cases involving sexual harassment, racial discrimination<\/a>, pregnancy discrimination<\/a>, and other employment-related claims. We serve clients throughout New York, including Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island. We also have offices in New Jersey<\/a> and Philadelphia<\/a> to serve you.<\/p>\n

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