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Federal agencies, universities and colleges “should move beyond basic legal compliance to adopt holistic, evidence-based policies and practices to address sexual harassment,” concludes a new study by the National Academies of Sciences (NAS), Engineering, and Medicine. “Sexual Harassment of Women: Climate, Culture, and Consequences in Academic Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine” also found “no evidence that current policies, procedures, and approaches…have resulted in a significant reduction in sexual harassment.” Completed over a two-year period, the report issued June 12 “urges Congress and state legislatures to consider a range of actions, including prohibiting confidentiality in settlement agreements and allowing lawsuits to be filed directly against alleged harassers” in addition to litigation naming institutions.

It also recommends reliance on “scientific evidence about the behavior of targets and perpetrators of sexual harassment when assessing both institutional compliance with the law and the merits of individual claims.” In all, the study committee made 15 recommendations; members also are calling for increased transparency and accountability; greater support, including legal and health care, for “targets” of sexual harassment; and the creation of “diverse, inclusive, and respectful environments,” among others. (6/14/18)