Did you know? Cornell University coined the term 'sexual harassment'

Long before “sexual harassment” became a recognized term in workplaces, schools and legal systems around the world, a group of women at Cornell University searched for a way to describe an experience that had long been ignored.

According to The Washington Post, the phrase can be traced back to 1975 when feminist activist and lecturer Lin Farley taught a women and work course at Cornell and heard recurring accounts from students and workers about unwanted sexual advances, intimidation and discrimination in their jobs.

Despite the widespread nature of these experiences, there was no commonly accepted language to identify the behavior. Farley and fellow activists began using the term “sexual harassment” to describe the pattern and bring attention to the issue.

The phrase gained wider recognition after Farley testified before the New York City Human Rights Commission in 1975, where she spoke about women who faced unwanted sexual advances from supervisors and employers.

The movement was also influenced by the experience of Carmita Wood, a Cornell employee who resigned after enduring repeated unwanted advances from a professor. Her case helped inspire Farley and other activists to establish Working Women United, an organization that pushed for greater awareness and accountability around workplace harassment.

Working Women United later organized one of the earliest public “Speak Out” events on sexual harassment, encouraging women to share their experiences and challenge a culture of silence.

Cornell 7

Cornell University has again found itself at the center of national conversations about sexual violence and campus accountability through the case widely referred to as the “Cornell 7” case.

The case involves allegations made by a former Cornell student, identified in court documents as Jane Doe, who filed a civil lawsuit alleging that she was sexually assaulted by seven students at the Chi Phi fraternity house in 2024. The allegations have not been proven in court, and the defendants have disputed the claims.

The case has renewed debates about how universities, law enforcement agencies and student organizations respond to reports of sexual assault. Cornell conducted its own disciplinary process following the incident, while the matter later drew wider attention after the filing of the civil lawsuit and renewed scrutiny of the handling of the allegations.