Confronting Intolerance at Lehigh
Lehigh is committed to sustaining a diverse living and learning community that provides a respectful environment where differences are celebrated, each member of the campus is valued and where an atmosphere of civility and respect is fostered. At Lehigh, we take the health, safety and well-being of our students, faculty and staff very seriously.
Intolerant actions based on race, color, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, age, national or ethnic origin, disability or veteran status are not acceptable and are inconsistent with the fundamental values of the University.
Such actions - which may include bias motivated incidents, hate crimes, discrimination, or harassment - may violate one or more of the following:
- Lehigh's Policy on Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action and Non-Discrimination http://www.lehigh.edu/~policy/university/eo.htm
- Lehigh's Policy on Harassment http://www.lehigh.edu/~policy/university/harassment.htm
- Campus disciplinary policies
- Civil or criminal codes
Ultimately, every individual on our campus has a shared responsibility for creating a culture of tolerance and respect.
1. What is an act of intolerance?
An act of intolerance is any conduct or act that targets a person or group based on race, color, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, age, national or ethnic origin, disability or veteran status and may include bias motivated incidents, hate crimes, harassment, or discrimination. Such acts are not acceptable at Lehigh and jeopardize our commitment to a pluralistic community based on openness, respect, learning and shared responsibility.
2. What is the definition of a bias motivated incident?
Bias motivated incidents, according to the U.S. Department of Justice, are acts of prejudice that are not accompanied by violence, property damage, or other illegal conduct. Bias motivated incidents may violate some campus disciplinary or harassment policies (making them reportable under the Clery Act) but they do not violate civil or criminal hate crime statutes.
3. What is the definition of a “hate crime” in Pennsylvania ?
In Pennsylvania, while the term “hate crime” does not appear in the state criminal code, a person who commits an offense with malicious intent toward the actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation, or gender or gender identity of another individual or group of individuals or his or her property could be found committing a hate crime under such categories as ethnic intimidation or harassment.
To learn more about hate crimes, click here: http://www.lehigh.edu/~inlpd/statute.html
4. What is the definition of discrimination?
Discrimination is denying a person the benefits of university programs or services, or treating a person unequally or unfairly, in such programs or services, based on race, color, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, age, national or ethnic origin, disability or veteran status protected by law or university policy.
To learn more about Lehigh's Policy on Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action and Non-Discrimination click here: http://www.lehigh.edu/~policy/university/eo.htm .
5. What is the definition of harassment?
Harassment is a term to describe a crime in Pennsylvania and also to describe a form of discrimination prohibited by federal and state laws and university policy. At Lehigh, under our Policy on Harassment, we define two types of harassment: (1) the creation of a hostile environment where a member of the Lehigh family may be subjected to unwelcome statements, jokes, gestures, pictures, touching or other conduct that offend, demean, harass, or intimidate based on personal characteristics protected against discrimination; and (2) the other is sexual harassment (“quid pro quo harassment) where a member of the university community explicitly or implicitly, promises or withholds job or education-related benefits, based upon the employee's or student's acquiescence to sexual advances or behavior.
To learn more about Lehigh's Policy on Harassment, click here: http://www.lehigh.edu/~policy/university/harassment.htm .
6. How does a student report harassment, discrimination, a bias motivated incident or a hate crime?
- Lehigh encourages the reporting of all acts of intolerance.
- Students should report incidents as soon as possible to the Lehigh Police by calling 610-758-4200 or to the Dean of Students Office by calling 610-758-4156.
- Preserve any evidence (graffiti, phone call recording, e-mail message, letter, etc.).
7. How does a staff or faculty member report harassment, discrimination, a bias motivated incident or a hate crime?
- Lehigh encourages the reporting of all acts of intolerance.
- Staff and faculty should report incidents as soon as possible to the appropriate contact person in their specific area. To find your contact person or to learn how to file a formal complaint, click here: http://www.lehigh.edu/%7Einhro/eerelat/ContactGuide.htm .
- Preserve any evidence (graffiti, phone call recording, e-mail message, letter, etc.).
The Bias Response Team (BRT) was created in 2001 to monitor and, as appropriate, coordinate the university response to acts of intolerance against students should they occur. The BRT includes staff, faculty and student members. In any particular instance, there may also be an immediate local and/or educational response in addition to the university response (i.e. residence hall program, notification to living community, removal of graffiti, educational programming, etc.). To learn more, read the full details.
The Harassment Policy Officer serves as a resource regarding Lehigh's Policy on Harassment and helps members of the Lehigh community determine whether a situation involves harassment and possible courses of action. The Harassment Policy Officer is also an official intake point for formal harassment complaints against faculty and staff, and subsequently engages in fact finding investigations with a co-investigator. He/She is not involved in formal harassment complaints against students. These should be referred to the Dean of Students Office. To learn more about Lehigh's Harassment Policy Officer, click here: http://www.lehigh.edu/~inhpo/index.html
Lehigh's Ombudsperson serves as a neutral, independent and informal conflict resolution resource and helps members of our community determine what are appropriate courses of action and assess who should be involved and at what stage. The ombudsperson is not an official intake point for complaint processes of the University and does not engage in fact-finding or make determinations about right and wrong. He/She also does not have administrative authority to impose disciplinary, remedial, or any other actions, on university faculty, staff, students or departments, nor to make specific changes within the institution. To learn more about the Office of the Ombudsperson, click here: http://www.lehigh.edu/~inombuds/
University Counseling and Psychological Services
http://www.lehigh.edu/~incso/cso.htm
610.758.3880
Dean of Students Office
http://www.lehigh.edu/~indost/
610.758.4156
Harassment Policy Officer
http://www.lehigh.edu/~inhpo/index.html
(610) 758-3270
Joint Multicultural Program
http://www.lehigh.edu/jmp/index.html
610.758.4821
Lehigh University Police Department
http://www.lehigh.edu/~inlpd/index.html
610.758.4200
LGBTQA Programs and Outreach
http://www.lehigh.edu/~inrainbo/index.html
610.758.4126
Office of Residence Life
http://www.lehigh.edu/~inlife/inlife.html
610-758-6598
Office of Student Conduct
http://www.lehigh.edu/~indost/conduct/student_conduct.html
610.758.4159
Office of Multicultural Affairs
http://www.lehigh.edu/~inmca/index.html
610.758.5973
Ombudsperson
http://www.lehigh.edu/~inombuds/
610.758.3428
Women's Center
610.758.6484
For more information on bias motivated incidents, hate crimes, discrimination, and harassment, visit these websites:
Hate Crimes on Campus: The Problem and Efforts to Confront it:
http://www.securityoncampus.org/schools/187249.pdf
National Criminal Justice Reference Service:
http://www.ncjrs.gov/spotlight/hate_crimes/summary.html
U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights website: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/index.html
Tolerance.Org: http://www.tolerance.org/index.jsp
Stop the Hate: www.stophate.org
Pennsylvania Inter-Agency Task Force on Civil Tension: http://www.stopbias.org/hate_crime.htm