Bar
Bias Incidents Protocol
Bias incidents are
defined as acts of bigotry, harassment, or intimidation directed at a person or
group based on national origin, ethnicity, race, age, religion, gender, sexual
orientation, disability, veteran status, color, creed, or marital status.
Examples include derogatory messages on walls or message boards, use of
derogatory names, etc.
Hate crimes, also called
bias crimes or bias-related crimes, are criminal activities that are motivated
by the perpetrator's bias or attitude against an individual victim or group
based on perceived or actual personal characteristics, such as race, religion,
ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or disability. An example is assaulting
an individual because of a perceived characteristic such as race.
All members of the SUNY
College at Oneonta community are asked to be aware of the procedures for
reporting bias incidents and crimes and to make reports of any such events.
Bias incidents and crimes may be handled through the criminal justice system of
New York, through the campus judicial system, and/or through the College’s
discrimination complaint procedure.
IF YOU SEE BIAS-RELATED
GRAFFITI ON A WALL, MESSAGE BOARD, OR ANY OTHER PUBLIC PLACE:
- Do not erase or clean
it. Contact University Police immediately to dispatch an officer to
photograph it and collect any other evidence.
- If you can’t remain at
the scene until an officer arrives, cover the message with a piece of paper,
and write on it that UPD was contacted at the time that you called. This
will prevent others from seeing it and making additional calls or erasing
the message. If you don’t have the necessary materials available, contact
your supervisor for help.
- Contact your
supervisor, resident hall director, academic department head, or other
official who is in charge of the area in which the graffiti was observed.
Let her/him know what actions you took.
IF SOMEONE TELLS YOU
ABOUT GRAFFITI THAT THEY HAVE SEEN:
- You or the observer of
the graffiti should contact UPD and provide as much information as you have
about the time and place that the graffiti was seen.
- If you and the
observer want to remain anonymous, use the Silent Witness on the UPD
website,
http://www.oneonta.edu/admin/police/pages/silent_witness.asp
There will be
limited investigation but it will provide a record that may assist officers
in resolving other cases.
IF YOU ARE VERBALLY
HARASSED OR WITNESS IT HAPPENING TO SOMEONE ELSE:
- Students - contact UPD
immediately and provide detailed descriptions of what happened, what was
said, who was involved, and where it occurred. Also include names of any
witnesses. You may also use the Silent Witness process on the UPD website.
- Employees – contact
the Affirmative Action Officer and/or UPD for investigation and follow up,
as needed.
IF YOU ARE VERBALLY
THREATENED OR ATTACKED OR WITNESS IT HAPPENING TO SOMEONE ELSE:
Contact UPD immediately and provide detailed descriptions of what happened, what
was said, who was involved, and where it occurred. Include names of any
witnesses. You may call UPD or use the Silent Witness process on the UPD
website.
AFTER UPD HAS RECEIVED A
REPORT OF A BIAS INCIDENT OR CRIME, THEY WILL FOLLOW UP:
- Consult with those who
have responsibility for the area of campus in which the incident occurred to
determine if/when information needs to be disseminated and to identify the
relevant community members who will be included.
- If sufficient evidence
exists to adjudicate the incident, it will be referred to the campus
judicial officer and/or to the Affirmative Action Officer, and/or an arrest
will be made.
- After consultation, it
will be determined what additional actions will be taken. Some options:
- offer information
to victims re: relevant policies and services that are available to them
- address safety
issues for the victim(s)
- conduct residence
hall meetings or other gatherings of relevant groups
- in instances of
graffiti in public places, put up a poster on the site of the graffiti
that requests additional information and/or provides information about
bias incidents and hate crimes
Endorsed by President’s Cabinet on 11-8-05
