Bias & Hate Crimes

DEFINITIONS

Bias Incident: Any conduct, speech, images, or expression that demonstrate conscious or unconscious bias which targets individuals or groups based on, but not limited to, their actual or perceived: age, disability, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, immigration status, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, size, socioeconomic status/class, veteran status or on the basis of any other status protected by law or recognized within a Champlain College policy.

Examples:

• Calling a person or a behavior “gay,” “lame,” or “retarded” as an insult

• Imitating someone with any kind of disability or imitating someone’s cultural attire, norms, or practices

• Telling jokes based on a cultural stereotype

• Derogatory graffiti or images/drawings

• Using a racial or ethnic slur to identify someone

• Making comments on social media about someone’s age, disability, ethnicity, race, national origin, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, size, or religion.

A bias incident is an offensive act that is neither criminal, nor a violation of the Sexual Harassment, Sexual Misconduct, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence and Stalking Policy (“SHSMDVS Policy”), the Discrimination and Harassment Policy, the Standard of Conduct or comparable College Policies. If a bias-related incident falls within the scope and definitions of the aforementioned policies, it will be addressed through those processes. However, bias will be deemed an aggravating circumstance to any violation of College policy.

Hate Crime: As defined by Vermont law, a hate crime is a crime that is maliciously motivated by the victim’s actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, ancestry, age, service in the armed forces of the United States, disability, sexual orientation or gender identity is a hate crime. The perpetrator can be given additional penalties at sentencing. Hate crimes should be reported to your local law enforcement agency. Prosecutors can seek increased penalties for hate crimes, including longer jail sentences and higher fines.

Champlain College’s Freedom of Expression Statement: Champlain College’s spirit of inquiry in the pursuit of knowledge supports the institution’s culture of exploration with respect for diversity and a passion for an inclusive learning environment. The college holds that its community, including, but not limited to, students, faculty, staff and invited visitors retain the right to freely express their ideas, so long as those forms of expression do not infringe on another’s freedom to do so. We believe that the commitment to engage in discomfort and controversy can promote opportunities for growth. It is not the institution’s purpose or duty to protect its constituents from conflict, but rather, to create conditions for debates and discussions to flourish.

REPORTING

To Report a Bias Incident: Submit a Bias Incident Reporting Form or contact Reese Kelly, Assistant Vice President of Diversity, Community and Inclusion (Bias Response Coordinator) at BiasResponse@champlain.edu. A Bias Incident Reporting Form may be submitted anonymously. 

To Report a Hate Crime: If you believe that you have been the victim of a hate crime and anyone is injured or in danger, call 911, then notify Campus Public Safety at (802) 865-6465. If no one is injured or in danger, contact Campus Public Safety at (802) 865-6465.

To obtain the assistance of the Attorney General’s office as a hate crime victim, you may contact them at: 

Office of the Attorney General

Civil Rights Unit

109 State Street

Montpelier, VT 05602

(802) 828-3657

(888) 745-9195 (toll-free in Vermont)

(802) 828-3665 (TTY)

(802) 828-3187 (fax)

AGO.CivilRights@vermont.gov (e-mail)

BIAS INCIDENT RESPONSE PROCESS

The Bias Incident Response Team (BIRT) is the group responsible for reviewing, coordinating, and responding to bias incidents for the Division of Student Affairs, Diversity and Inclusion and the College. The Bias Response Coordinator also partners with the People Center, Champlain College Online, and Academic Affairs on reports that involve faculty, staff, and online students. 

BIRT will respond to reported incidents in the following ways:

1. The BIRT Coordinator or designee receives an incident report and determines whether the incident is suited for the Bias Incident Response Process. If not, the report is routed to Campus Public Safety, the Title IX Coordinator, the ADA/504 Coordinator, the Office of Community Standards, the Student Care and Response Team (SCART) or to another College entity. The report is also evaluated for time-sensitivity and breadth of impact.

2. If deemed a bias incident report, a member of BIRT responds to the individual(s) submitting the report to acknowledge receipt, to offer appropriate support, and to invite the reporting party(ies) to meet.

3. The Bias Impact Response Team may consider a variety of responses to reported bias incidents based on the severity and context of the incident. In addition to the possibility of investigation and disciplinary sanction as determined by college partners, when appropriate, examples of responses may include, but are not limited to, efforts to: 

   1. Establish direct contact with the person or group involved in the incident to discuss the impact of the bias incident. 

   2. Develop and provide educational resources or opportunities to individuals, departments, units, and other groups to address the impact of a bias incident. 

   3. Communicate with a specific individual, building, group, unit, department, or the entire college community about what happened, why it is important to address the incident, and what responses are underway or possible.

   4. Mandate a No Contact Order (NCO) or No Trespass Order.

   5. Offer mediation through appropriate college offices. 

As necessary, the BIRT Coordinator consults with other College officials and relevant offices to coordinate responses (i.e. Campus Public Safety, Housing and Residential Life, Office of Accessibility, Office of Diversity and Inclusion, People Center, etc.)

4. When a reported incident has had a campus-wide impact or involves campus risk, the BIRT Coordinator may send a message to the affected campus(es) and/or residential communities.

The BIRT Coordinator or designee, in collaboration with members of BIRT, tracks and reports on data, assesses trends, and identifies areas for training, prevention efforts, and policy development.

CONTACT

Individuals who believe they may have been the victim of a hate crime should call 911 and notify Campus Public Safety at (802) 865-6465, if someone is injured or in danger. If no one is injured or in danger, contact Campus Public Safety at (802) 865-6465.

Students should contact Danelle Berube (Bias Response Coordinator) at dberube@champlain.edu, 802-865-5460, or BiasResponse@champlain.edu with any questions or to file a bias incident report.

Staff and faculty should contact Vice President for Human Capital at peoplecenter@champlain.edu or 802-865-5485 with any questions or to file a bias incident report.