A systemic problem across institutions of higher education known as "passing the harasser" enables faculty members found responsible for sexual harassment to transition to another institution without notifying their new employer or facing disciplinary action from their previous employer. This problem is often facilitated by institutional confidentiality and nondisclosure agreements that prevent institutions from sharing information on faculty perpetrators of sexual harassment.
This issue paper from the Response Working Group of the Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education summarizes policies developed by the University of Wisconsin System to address this problem. The UW System's policy is innovative because it provides a systematic, coordinated framework for documenting, sharing, and responding to findings of sexual misconduct within the hiring and reference check processes for full-time faculty and staff across multiple UW System institutions and state agencies. The paper describes the policy and the processes that were used to develop and implement it, with the aim of enabling other organizations to adapt and apply it to their own environment.
13 pages
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8.5 x 11
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ISBN Ebook: 0-309-99584-1
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/26564
Harton, M., and Benya, F. (Eds.). 2022. Innovative Practice: University of Wisconsin System: Stop "Passing the Harasser" Policy: Issue Paper. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
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