Anti-Discrimination and Discriminatory Harassment Policies & Procedures for Student: Discriminatory Harassment

Relevant Excerpt

Fundamental Principles 

Discrimination and Discriminatory Harassment are antithetical to Columbia’s mission and values. The University does not tolerate this Prohibited Conduct and all such conduct, as defined in this Policy, is forbidden. 

The University will take tailored and appropriate measures to address all forms of Discrimination and Discriminatory Harassment, including when Prohibited Conduct involves social media postings, flyers or posters on campus, Student Groups or unrecognized Student organizations that create or contribute to a Hostile Environment in a University program or activity or at the University as a whole. A Hostile Environment can be created by unwelcome conduct that, considering the totality of the circumstances, is subjectively and objectively offensive and is so severe or pervasive that it limits or denies a person’s ability to participate in or benefit from any of the University’s educational programs or activities. Prohibited Conduct need not be directed at any particular individual or group of individuals to contribute to a Hostile Environment. It also need not be based on a Complainant’s actual membership in a Protected Class; rather, it may be based on a Complainant’s perceived membership in or association with a Protected Class.

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A. Prohibited Conduct 

It is a violation of this Policy for a Student, Active Alum, or Student Group to commit the following acts: 

1. Discrimination and Discriminatory Harassment

Treating individuals less favorably because of their actual or perceived membership in, or association with, a Protected Class, or having a neutral policy or practice that has a disproportionate and unjustified adverse impact on actual and/or perceived members or associates of one Protected Class more than others, constitutes Discrimination. Discrimination includes treating an individual differently on the basis of their actual or perceived membership in, or association with, a Protected Class in the context of an educational program or activity without a legitimate, nondiscriminatory reason so as to deny or limit the ability of the individual to participate in or benefit from Columbia’s services, activities, or privileges.

Each of the following characteristics constitutes a “Protected Class” for purposes of this Policy: age; alienage or citizenship status; arrest or conviction record; caregiver status; caste; color; credit history; creed; disability; familial status; genetic predisposition or carrier status; marital status; national origin (including shared ancestry, ethnic characteristics, or citizenship or residency in a country with a dominant religion or distinct religious identity); race; religion; salary history; unemployment status; veteran or active military status; or any other protected characteristic as established by law.7,8

Subjecting an individual to unwelcome conduct, whether verbal or physical, that creates or contributes to a hostile working, learning, or campus living environment; that alters the conditions of employment or education; or that unreasonably interferes with an individual’s work, academic performance, or ability to participate in or benefit from some aspect of the University’s educational programs or activities on the basis of the individual’s actual or perceived membership in, or association with a Protected Class constitutes Discriminatory Harassment.

Discriminatory Harassment may include, but is not limited to, the following acts that denigrate or show hostility or aversion toward one or more actual or perceived members or associates of a Protected Class: verbal abuse; epithets or slurs; negative stereotyping (including, but not limited to, stereotypes about how an individual looks, including skin color, physical features, or style of dress that reflects ethnic traditions; a foreign accent; a foreign name, including names commonly associated with a particular shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics; or speaking a foreign language); threatening, intimidating, or hostile acts; denigrating jokes; insulting or obscene comments or gestures; calls for genocide and/or violence; and the display or circulation of written or graphic material in any form, including but not limited to social media.

7 The Columbia Antisemitism Task Force defines antisemitism as: “antisemitism can manifest in a range of ways, including as ethnic slurs, epithets, and caricatures; stereotypes; antisemitic tropes and symbols; Holocaust denial; targeting Jews or Israelis for violence or celebrating violence against them; exclusion or discrimination based on Jewish identity or ancestry or real or perceived ties to Israel; and certain double standards applied to Israel.” The Office incorporates this definition in considering potential policy violations.