University of Rochester

Equal Opportunity Home

Making a Complaint of Harassment or Discrimination

The University of Rochester seeks to provide a setting that respects the contributions of all the individuals composing its community, that encourages intellectual and personal development, and that promotes the free exchange of ideas.

To ensure nondiscrimination and equal opportunity, the University prohibits and will not engage in discrimination or harassment on the basis of age, color, disability, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, genetic information, martial status, military/veteran status, national origin, race, religion/creed, sex, sexual orientation, or any other status protected by law. The University also prohibits retaliation and will not retaliate against any persons who makes a complaint of discrimination or harassment on the basis on a protected status or who provides information or otherwise participates in a investigation of such a complaint.

If you believe you have been discriminated against or harassed due to your protected status you have several options for how to respond. It is important that you choose the option that feels comfortable to you and that you believe is likely to result in a positive outcome.

You may:

  1. approach the person directly and ask that they stop the behavior;
  2. complain to your individual department chair, dean, director, immediate supervisor, the Office of Human Resources, the Office of the Intercessor or the Office of Counsel;
  3. meet with a University Intercessor who can assist in mediating or facilitating an informal resolution of the problem;
  4. file a formal complaint by filing out this report form and submitting it to (1) any Human Resources Office (2) any Dean’s Office (3) the Office of the Provost or the Office of the Senior Vice President for Health Sciences, (4) any Dean of Students Office or (6) any Intercessor. For details regarding this process please review Personnel Policy 106; or
  5. seek assistance from a governmental agency charged with investigating and responding to complaints on that topic.

If you believe that you have been discriminated against at work because of your race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information file a claim with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

You can also file a claim with the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights if you believe that you have been discriminated against on the basis of