Addressing sexual harassment and misconduct

To Faculty, Staff and Students

Dear Colleagues,

Our country is undergoing an unprecedented and overdue reckoning with issues of sexual harassment and misconduct in the workplace and beyond. We know that these abuses can occur anywhere, including at Johns Hopkins, and we want to take this opportunity to re-emphasize our values and remind you of our policies, procedures, and support services.

Johns Hopkins institutions are firmly committed to ensuring that every member of our community—regardless of position, seniority, or responsibility—can work and learn in an environment that is free of sexual harassment, discrimination, misconduct, or retaliation. To achieve this, we must all be vigilant and forward-leaning, and we encourage anyone who has experienced or is aware of such behaviors to report them.

At our health system, the Organizational Equity Office (email: EEOconcerns@jhmi.edu) addresses and responds to any employee who reports discriminatory behavior of any kind, including sexual harassment, misconduct, or retaliation. At the university, the Office of Institutional Equity (email: oie@jhu.edu) plays this important role for faculty members, staff members, trainees, and students. Both offices offer supportive resources and are equipped to investigate allegations carefully and fairly, for all involved. Appropriate disciplinary action will be taken against those who are found to violate our policies.

Our policies and practices on sexual harassment and misconduct have been in place for decades, but they also undergo regular review and evaluation to ensure they are consistent with best practices and to address the current climate. We conducted a comprehensive review of the university's sexual misconduct policies under Title IX in 2015, following extensive consultations with students, faculty, and staff, and we welcome your continued feedback and input in this area. The university has also implemented training in this area for faculty and staff. Similarly, in 2016, JHHS took an important step and now requires all staff to complete mandatory discrimination and harassment prevention training on an annual basis.

We hope you will take a moment to learn more about the resources available across our institutions (listed below) so you will know where you or a colleague or classmate can turn for help. We also hope you will support our collective efforts to eradicate sexual harassment or misconduct at Johns Hopkins.

Sincerely,

Ronald J. Daniels
President, Johns Hopkins University

Paul B. Rothman, M.D.
Dean of the Medical Faculty
CEO, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Ronald R. Peterson
President, Johns Hopkins Health System
Executive Vice President, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Resources for sexual harassment, discrimination, or misconduct:

Sexual Assault Helpline, 410-516-7333 (confidential)
The JHU Sexual Assault Helpline is a confidential service available 24/7 to all Johns Hopkins University students. The helpline is staffed by professional counselors and provides confidential assistance to those affected by sexual misconduct. Callers may remain anonymous. All calls to the Helpline are confidential and do not constitute making an official report of sexual misconduct to the university.

University Sexual Assault Response and Prevention website

Johns Hopkins Compliance Hotline, 844-SPEAK2US (844-733-2528)

Hopkins Policies Online, or you may refer to your respective entity's harassment policy or HR guidelines.

JHU Office of Institutional Equity, 410-516-8075 (nonconfidential)

JHU Counseling Center, 410-516-8278
Serves full-time undergraduates and graduates on the Homewood campus and Peabody students.

Johns Hopkins Student Assistance Program (JHSAP), 443-287-7000
Serves graduate, medical, and professional students in most other divisions. See http://jhsap.org/services for eligibility.

University Health Services-Mental Health (UHS-MH), 410-955-1892
Serves full-time SOM, SPH, and SON students, and Johns Hopkins Hospital and Bayview house officers and postdoctoral fellows.

The Faculty and Staff Assistance Program (FASAP), 443-997-7000
Serves faculty and staff as well as residents and postdocs at Johns Hopkins Hospital and Bayview.