Office for Equal Opportunity
North Carolina
State University

Location & Hours
1 Holladay Hall
8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Monday - Friday

Mailing Address
Campus Box 7530
Raleigh, NC
27695-7530

Phone Numbers
Main: 919-515-3148
Fax: 919-513-1428
TTY: 919-515-9617

Equal_Op - February, 2008 - Volume 8, #3

Office Romance, Anyone?

In September 2007, NC State revised its Interpersonal Relationships Among Faculty, Staff, and Students Policy ("Interpersonal Relationships Policy"). The revisions streamlined the policy, but the essential message remains the same: No employee or student at NC State should supervise an individual with whom they are related or romantically involved. In the policy, a supervisor is generally anyone who has authority over evaluating another’s work. Essentially, NC State wants to ensure integrity in its evaluations processes and recognizes that it may be more difficult to objectively evaluate someone who is your brother or your girlfriend.

Does this sound like a strange policy for the Office for Equal Opportunity (OEO) to be working with? OEO enforces the Interpersonal Relationships Policy because its violations often go hand in hand with sexual harassment complaints. There are two high-risk areas in which violations of the Interpersonal Relationships Policy frequently overlap with NC State’s Unlawful Harassment Policy Statement. For example, think about a professor who engages in a relationship with a student; if and when the student wants out of the relationship, he or she may feel intimidated and fearful of endangering his or her grade in the class. In some scenarios, the student might go on to file a sexual harassment complaint against the professor. Or, consider a situation where an employee is dating the manager. Other employees in the department may feel frustrated because the employee is allowed to take longer lunch breaks and is not disciplined for showing up late to work. Third parties might file a sexual harassment complaint in this situation because they feel disadvantaged by not dating the manager.

Although OEO works with the Interpersonal Relationships Policy, we understand that sometimes romance does occur in the workplace, or a student may want to take a course from a professor who happens to be a parent. If you find yourself in a situation that may violate the Interpersonal Relationships Policy, please give OEO a call. We will not assume that you are doing anything wrong, but we have identified your situation as a high-risk area and want to remove that risk. Actions to reduce risk that OEO has taken in the past include reconfiguring a supervisory hierarchy within a department or arranging for another professor to grade a student’s assignments so that there is no semblance of inappropriate or unfair evaluating.

Please direct any questions regarding the Interpersonal Relationships Policy to the Office for Equal Opportunity at 919-515-3148.

Study Circles: Dialogue on Race Does Make A Difference!

Have you had any discussions about nooses found on this and other campuses? Things are happening in our world related to the issue of race, and race is difficult to discuss. Study Circles on Race and Race Relations is designed to improve the racial climate of the campus through dialogue and action. The program is better than ever with a revised curriculum that enhances discussion and provides participants with greater insights. A study circle is a small, diverse group of 8 to 10 individuals who meet once a week for five weeks to share individual stories, learn from others, and take action steps. Learn more and register to participate at www.ncsu.edu/equal_op/education/study_circles.html.

Training Update

As of mid-January, over 9,900 individuals have completed an approved Discrimination and Harassment Prevention and Response Training program, including both the general employee program as well as the supervisor-specific program. We expect to pass the 10,000 mark by February!

Now that the first six months of training efforts have concluded, the Office for Equal Opportunity (OEO) would like to congratulate the Office of Advancement Services, which was the first office to complete both the general and supervisory portions of the training requirement after the Discrimination and Harassment Prevention and Response Training regulation was passed last summer. Great job!

OEO extends its gratitude to the NC State community for reacting in such a positive manner to this new training requirement, and consequently demonstrating its commitment to effectively preventing and addressing discrimination and harassment at NC State. Thank you!

Focus: Lockheed Martin Settlement Sends a Powerful Message

By Carson C. Cook, Assistant Vice Provost and Director of Employment Programs

A victim of racial harassment and employment discrimination during his employment at Lockheed Martin has won $2.5 million in what the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) calls one of the largest recoveries for an individual case.

The lawsuit against the Fortune 100 corporation and world’s largest military contractor includes an agreement from the Bethesda, Maryland-based company to terminate the four co-workers and the supervisor who harassed former employee and Navy veteran Charles Daniels, and to make significant policy changes to address any future discrimination.

Daniels, 45, was subjected to severe racial harassment, including the "N-word," and to physical threats while he was part of a field service team working on military aircraft. Daniels was the only black worker on the team, which moved to a new site every four to six weeks. The harassment started in September 1999 after Daniels was hired as an avionics electrician.

There was distribution of weekly "newsletters" in the employees’ break room for Ku Klux Klan meetings and racist graffiti in restrooms. The harassment followed Daniels to Jacksonville, Florida in 2000, then to Whidbey Island later that year, continuing in Hawaii in 2001.

Daniels and a white co-worker reported the racist harassment to HR. After Lockheed Martin’s HR investigator distributed their reports to co-workers, both men were subjected to severe retaliation and threats of violence; the harassers grew from two men to four, according to the EEOC.

Daniels was threatened with lynching, was told how easy it would be for him to be made to disappear on Whidbey Island, and saw co-workers in a vehicle circling the block around his apartment late at night, according to the EEOC, prompting him to move off the island to Seattle. Lockheed Martin continued to pair Daniels with the team that consisted of the harassers.

Despite its legal obligations, Lockheed failed to discipline the harassers and instead allowed the discrimination to continue unabated even though the company was aware of the unlawful conduct and had an antidiscrimination policy on paper, the EEOC said.

The suit, filed in August 2005, was resolved with a consent decree that includes the $2.5 million payment and a requirement that Lockheed Martin provide annual anti-discrimination training to all its employees, including management, and to report annually to the EEOC on whether any new claims of discrimination have been made by employees and the steps taken to remedy the situations. In addition to firing the harassers, Lockheed Martin is required to bar their employment permanently.

Racial harassment charge filings with EEOC offices nationwide have more than doubled since the early 1990s, from 3,075 in fiscal 1991 to about 7,000 in fiscal 2007. Race is the most frequently alleged basis of discrimination in charges brought to the EEOC, accounting for about 36 percent of the agency’s private-sector caseload.

In response to new and emerging race and color issues, the EEOC has launched a national outreach, education, and enforcement campaign, entitled Eradicating Racism and Colorism from Employment (E-RACE Initiative). See www.eeoc.gov/initiatives/e-race/index.html for more information.

Programming Notes

Important Educational Opportunities

By Beverly Jones Williams, Director of Outreach and Education

The Office for Equal Opportunity sponsors programs throughout the year to help the campus community learn more about equal opportunity and diversity. Upcoming programs include:

• The Protected Class of National Origin
  Wednesday, 2/13/08, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
• The Protected Class of Disability
  Wednesday, 2/27/08, 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
• The Protected Classes of Religion and Creed
  Wednesday, 3/12/08, 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
• Diversity, Discrimination & Affirmative Action
  Thursday, 3/20/08, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
• Legacies + Layers = Lenses (Campus Diversity Conflicts: Methods for Managing the Unmanageable)
  Thursday, 3/27/08, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
• Affirmative Action in Action
  Wednesday, 4/2/08, 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
• Building Bridges: Strengthening Leadership for Diverse Communities: Parts I & II (NCBI)
  Thursday, 4/10/08, 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
• Equal Opportunity Jeopardy
  Tuesday, 4/15/08, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
• Study Circles on Race and Race Relations
  Spring semester, 2008
  See www.ncsu.edu/equal_op/education/study_circles.html.

These and other workshops are free to NC State faculty, staff, and students. To learn more and register, visit: www.ncsu.edu/equal_op/education/oeo_reg.html.

Heritage Months

Here are some opportunities to learn more about the heritage and history of groups that have sometimes been excluded from history books. Expand your knowledge by participating in activities on and off campus during the following months:

• February is Black History Month, recognizing the contributions of African Americans and fostering a better understanding of the African American experience.
• March is National Women’s History Month, recognizing important contributions made by women.

Staff Spotlight

Janet Howard Comes to OEO

Janet Howard joined OEO in July of 2006 as a special assistant. One of her major contributions is serving as the assistant campus director of the NC State National Coalition Building Institute (NCBI) affiliate. Through this work, she assists Beverly Jones Williams with developing and implementing NCBI organizational plans and delivering NCBI prejudice reduction and controversial issues workshops across campus. Additionally, Ms. Howard facilitates Study Circles seminars, Discrimination and Harassment Prevention & Response training, and Search Committee training.

Her counseling education background complements her anticipated harassment and discrimination complaint intake training. Joining OEO also provided her the opportunity to amass tomes of information as she assisted with the annual staff retreat, the overview for the OEO 5-year performance review, and prepared various reports and investigated availability data.

Ms. Howard reports that some of her most informative work included time spent assisting the Disability Services Office. During a two-month period, Ms. Howard helped coordinate and monitor the testing accommodations function. Ms. Howard remarked, "I had no idea that DSO was providing this extensive service for our students with disabilities. The sheer volume of this task was enlightening. Getting to know some of the students and being able to assist them as they reach their academic potential not only keeps our institution in compliance, but also confirms OEO’s commitment to work toward the institutional goal of a diverse and inclusive campus."

Ms. Howard, a Raleigh native, has worked in various campus positions during her twenty-year tenure at NC State. They include Lifelong Education Student Services manager, African American coordinator, MDS/USC lecturer, Student Success Programs director, Chancellor’s African American Advisory Council member, Saturday Program for Academic and Cultural Education (SPACE) director, and University Re-Admission Committee member. She is the recipient of the Outstanding Employee award for the Provost’s unit, 2004-2005, and the Continuing Education divisional award in 1995. Ms. Howard is active in the community through her participation in church, civic, and fraternal activities. She has an adult daughter and son.

Send Us Your Suggestions!

Is there a topic you would like to see written about in Equal_Op? If so, please send email to elizabeth_snively@ncsu.edu. Thank you!

OEO Resource Directory

Office for Equal Opportunity (OEO)
1 Holladay Hall
Campus Box 7530
919-515-3148
www.ncsu.edu/equal_op

Disability Services Office (DSO)
1900 Student Health Center
Campus Box 7509
919-515-7653
www.ncsu.edu/dso

Disability Hotline
To report a disability or accommodation issue or concern, send email to ADAHotline@ncsu.edu.

Discrimination or Harassment Complaints or Concerns
For help with a discrimination or harassment concern, contact Amy Circosta at 919-513-1234 or amy_circosta@ncsu.edu. You can also submit a harassment complaint online at www.ncsu.edu/equal_op/harassment/
harassment_complaint_form.html, or send email to report_harassment@ncsu.edu.

Hiring Procedures & Search Committee Orientations
If you are beginning a new search for a position, OEO encourages you to call 919-515-3148 to schedule a search committee orientation.

Workshops & Course Offerings
For information about our workshops and course offerings, please see www.ncsu.edu/equal_op/education.html or contact Beverly Jones Williams at 919-513-3836.

Online Training
We offer online training versions of some of our workshops. See www.ncsu.edu/project/oeo-training.

Faculty Exit Interviews
If you are a departing faculty member, please contact Carson C. Cook at 919-513-2099 or carson_cook@ncsu.edu to schedule your exit interview.

About Equal_Op
This newsletter is published by the Office for Equal Opportunity at NC State University. It is available online at www.ncsu.edu/equal_op/pubs.html and in alternate formats upon request.

If you have questions or comments regarding this newsletter, please contact the Office for Equal Opportunity at 919-515-3148 or by email.