Bias-Related Incident Response

University of Rochester

  • Speech Code Rating
    Yellow
  • Speech Code Category
    Policies on Bias and Hate Speech
  • Last updated
Download PDF

Relevant Excerpt

A bias-related incident is characterized as a behavior or act—verbal, written, or physical—which is personally directed against or targets an individual or group based on perceived or actual characteristics such as race, color, religious belief, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national or ethnic origin, disability, veteran status, or age.

...

Behavior reflecting bias may constitute a violation of the Student Code of Conduct or our Communal Principles.

...

Examples of bias-related incidents include:

  • Defacement and vandalism
  • Racial epithets written on someone’s dry-erase board
  • Posting or commenting on social media related to someone’s identity in a biased matter
  • Racially themed parties
  • Using a racial, ethnic, or other slur in a joke or to identify someone
  • Threats, destruction of personal property, harassment, or threatening phone calls or emails
  • Ridiculing a person’s language or accent
  • Insulting a person’s traditional manner of dress
  • Hate messages and symbols
  • Language and imagery objectifying women
  • Other subtle (and extreme) examples of bias incidents

The University of Rochester strongly encourages reporting bias-related incidents that occur on campus.

Share