NU office responds to harassment quickly By Kara Q. Morrlton 1 1 Senior Editor One UNL affirmative action of ficer said Wednesday that no sexual harassment complaint is ignored and that if contacted, his office is obligated to act. “We look at the issues very quickly regarding sexual harass ment allegations,” Ronald Ross, associate director of Affirmative Action, said. “We will handle the problem that day if the situation warrants that.” Ross said University of Ne braska-Lincoln students and em ployees who have sexual harass ment complaints against UNL employees should deal with them through the Affirmative Action office. Faculty or staff members also can report harassment cases to a supervisor, he said. Ross said su pervisors usually then contacted Affirmative Action to help resolve any problem. “We encourage supervisors to contact us when they have those types of issues so they are handled consistently,” Ross said. Ross said his office also pro vided training sessions for depart ment supervisors so they knew how to handle such complaints. Supervisors are instructed how to handle such complaints and how to talk to someone who feels he or she has been sexually ha rassed, he said. “We have had problems in re gards to those issues,” Ross said, “and we have (provided training to some departments).” Someone making a complaint must first complete an intake form, he said. The form asks the person to disclose his or her name, depart ment, persons involved and the nature of the alleged harassment. The person with the complaint is also asked to describe in writ ing what he or she would like the Affirmative Action office to do. They must then sign their name agreeing to cooperate with the of fice and verifying what they are saying is true. Ross said general procedure for reporting sexual harassment var ied case-by-case at this point. If people with complaints want to handle the situation on their own, he said, the Affirmative Ac tion office merely advise on how to do so. “We don’t intervene unless they ask us to,” Ross said. However, Ross said in some cases, such as quid pro quo harass ment, in which a person has been asked to perform sexual favors for a grade or employment benefits, Affirmative Action strongly rec ommends intervention. Ross said the department would confront the alleged harasser, but he said the person with the com plaint would be kept informed of any action the office had taken on his or her behalf. “We keep them apprised of all the steps of what we are doing,” Ross said. “We don’t blindside a person by going in with guns blaz ing. “We treat the alleged harasser in a very dignified manner, and we’re as confidential as we can possibly be,” Ire said. Ross also said people who had complaints should not worry about retaliation by their alleged harass es. Retaliation is considered a separate violation even if the per son is found to not have commit ted the alleged harassment, Ross said. World AIDS Day promoting awareness and compassion By John Fulwlcter Staff Reporter Organizers of today’s World AIDS Day activities at UNL hope to in crease awareness of the worldwide epidemic, a University Health Cen ter administrator said. Pat Tetreault, Health Center sexu ality education coordinator, said ob servance of World AIDS Day was important because of the great num ber of people the disease affected. “The more awareness and compas sion we can bring to this, the better ofiF everyone will be,” she said. Today is the seventh annual World AIDS Day. This year’s theme is “AIDS and Families: Protect And Care for the Ones We Love.” Tetreault said there was no set way to observe World AIDS Day. Com munities around the world choose events that match local needs, she said. The University of Nebraska Lincoln’s observance will feature a booth in the Nebraska Union today from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It will feature information about AIDS and sexuality, Tetreault said. Harassment Continued from Page 1 Bartholow said. Carole McMahon-Boies, Brunkhorst’s lawyer, would not com ment on Bartholow’s statement. Brunkhorst declined to speak to the Daily Nebraskan. Brunkhorst called University Po lice to report wliat she perceived as stalkings Oct. 27 and Nov. 14. On Nov. IS, she applied for a protection order in Lancaster County District Court. Court records show Brunkhorst called University Police the morning of Nov. 14 and said that Bartholow was following her and watching her A quilt representing Nebraska will be available for students to sign. The quilt will become part of the national Names Quilt, Tetreault said. The Names Quilt, which is the size of sev eral football fields, lias pieces memo rializing people who have died of AIDS. Awareness of the disease is espe cially important to college students, who are in a time when they are ex ploring" their sexuality, she said. The booth will have “Love Safely” packets that include condoms and information about disease prevention. Red ribbons will be available for stu dents to wear to show their aware ness of AIDS. The booth is sponsored by Peers Encouraging Responsible Sexuality at UNL, Campus Red Cross, the Uni versity Health Center Student Advi sory Board and the Nebraska Depart ment of Health, Tetreault said. Union businesses also will observe World AIDS Day. Amigos, Burger King and Subway will give 10 per cent discounts today to anyone wear ing a red ribbon, Tetreault said. The Subway discounts apply to sand wiches only. go to work at Kimball Recital Hall. University Police Officer John O’Grady looked into the Nov. 14 in cident and, because no law was bro ken, look no action. O’Grady did file a report on the call. Police records show Brunkhorst called police Oct. 27, but that no police report was filed on that date. UNL Police Chief Ken Cauble said Wednesday that the information taken by the officer did not warrant further investigation. He said the in cident would not have qualified as a stalking under Nebraska’s stalking law. Brunkhorst and Bartholow agreed in court Tuesday to dismiss the pro tection order if Bartholow avoided using the Johnny Carson Theater doors and the adjacent area. POLICEREPORT Beginning midnight Sunday 7:64 am — Security alarm, unknown cause. 12:37 pm—Larceny, 1541 S St., greek letters taken. 6:69 pm — Security alarm, unknown cause. Beginning midnight Monday 1:32 am — Hit-and-run accident, Area 10 lot at 14th and Vine streets, sign dam aged, $200 damage. 11:11 am — Security alarm, unknown cause. 12:5* p.m. — Property damage, Area 10 lot near Nebraska HaH, $100 dam age to vehicle. 3:14 pm — Security alarm, accidental trip. 7:23 pm — Security alarm, accidental trip. 10:14 pm — Indecent exposure, 1531 SSt. 10:34 pm—Hit-and-run accident, Area 2 lot at 21 at and Vine streets, $400 dam age to vehicle. Beginning midnight Tuesday 7:34 pm — Larceny from building, Ne braska Union, bag and contents taken, $197 loss. 8:60 pm — Larceny from building, Ne braska Union, daily planner and calcula tor taken, $120 loss. cWor_[d_ tLay. ( ‘Dece.m6e.r 1, 1994 3&*St£5* ®s®£S£* \Jt^ t^g^: , coni'11 House ligM* d\n'rn'nS f/!^C HMdAfDS ‘Day activities an sponsored6y the TEStfWlfPeeTS ‘Encouraging fyspons&USaQiality at the University of fy6rastp)¥rogram. Campus 9sd Cross, University Jfafth Center Student Advisory : ; ‘Board and the tyBrashp ‘Department ofjiealth. "-'V, *WQ/ ■^c ( £Ssp8&L. ' a*aftr rK«f ‘Ribbon. ‘Distribution- \ ^ ;: : : r>nCC V#