Bias Incident Reporting
What is a Bias Incident?
Resources & Forms
Contact Information
Caraline Sommervlile
Title IX/SMART Coordinator
Somerville_caraline@wheatoncollege.edu
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Zachary Irish
Assistant VP of Student Affairs
I. Introduction
Wheaton College values diversity, equity, and inclusion and is committed to maintaining an environment free from discriminatory conduct, including conduct that impedes the academic freedom, security, or well-being of any member of the Wheaton community. Wheaton’s Bias Incident Response Policy (the “Policy”) provides information about how to report a Bias Incident and outlines the protocols followed by Wheaton in response to reported incidents.
The Policy shall be interpreted and implemented in a manner consistent with Wheaton’s commitment to academic freedom.
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II. Definitions
Alleged Perpetrator. Individual(s) or group(s) who are alleged to have engaged in a Bias Incident.
Bias Incident. An act, whether intentional or unintentional, consisting of conduct, speech, or expression, that is motivated by bias and personally directed against an individual or group based on perceived or actual characteristics such as race, color, mental or physical disability, genetic information, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, age, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, veteran or military status, membership in the Uniformed Services. For purposes of this Policy, the term Bias Incident is inclusive
of conduct constituting a Hate Crime. While a bias incident can occur anywhere on and around campus, including the classroom, speech or expression that is consistent with the principles of academic freedom does not constitute a Bias Incident.
Bias Incident Prevention and Response Team (the “BIPR Team”). A team of incident response staff charged with advising and supporting the College in Bias Incident Response. The response team also serves as a liaison to campus partners in education and programming offices. As part of its charge, the BIPR Team monitors and identifies trends pertaining to campus cultural climate and provides broader recommendations for accomplishing institutional, cultural, and structural equity.
Hate Crime. Pursuant to M.G.L. c. 22C § 32, “any criminal act coupled with overt actions motivated by bigotry and bias including, but not limited to, a threatened, attempted or completed overt act motivated at least in part by racial, religious, ethnic, handicap, gender, gender identity or sexual orientation prejudice, or which otherwise deprives another person of his constitutional rights by threats, intimidation or coercion, or which seek to interfere with or disrupt a person’s exercise of constitutional rights through harassment or intimidation.”
Recipient(s). Individuals or groups who experience a Bias Incident.