40 - Sexual harassment, discrimination, and faculty–student intimate relationships in anesthesia practice

Summary

Sexual harassment is antithetical to the values of medicine which promote respect for autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, justice, respect for others, and promotion of human dignity. Physicians have ethical obligations to avoid discriminatory behavior as well as to take measures to banish it from the workplace when it occurs. In the US, federal law recognizes two forms ofsexual harassment: quid pro quo and hostile environment. Quid pro quo relationships between a teacher and an adult student, even if voluntary, are clearly unethical because they are unjust to other students who actually perform the necessary academic work to receive the academic recognition. The proven, harmful effects on students, faculty and institutions suggest that such relationships are imprudent and generally should be discouraged. When a consensual sexual or romantic relationship develops between a teacher and student, the teacher is ethically obliged to withdraw from any process involving evaluation or promotion/demotion of the student.