Interim Bias Related Incident Response Protocol--Policy and Procedures

Introduction

The reality for Evergreen students is that hate crimes and bias incidents can occur in their living communities, in their classrooms, at co-curricular activities, and in employment situations and at off campus college related activities. The College already has policies, procedures and protocols in place to respond to different kinds of incidents, enabling the college to attend to the health and safety of students, manage individual complaints or grievances, and adjudicate possible violations of college policies or local, state or federal laws.  Examples of such policies, procedures, and protocols include but are not limited to:

• Living communities – the housing contract, the Student Conduct Code and the Peer Arbitration Board and the college Non-Discrimination Policy local, state and federal civil rights laws and regulations
• Classrooms - program covenants, the Faculty Handbook, college Non-Discrimination Policy, academic administrative policies and deans
• Co-curricular activities – the Student Conduct Code, college Non-Discrimination Policy and local, state, and federal civil rights laws and regulations
• Employment settings - student employment agreements, policies and procedures, college Non-Discrimination Policy, local, state and federal civil rights laws and regulations
• Case Coordinating Protocol
• Sexual Assault Protocol

Protocol for Bias Incidents

The following protocol is to ensure a timely, efficient, and effective response to campus incidents involving Evergreen students, which may be characterized as hate crimes or bias incidents.  The protocol should be implemented whenever a hate crime or bias incident is believed or perceived to have occurred. This protocol is specific to addressing hate crimes or bias incidents directed at Evergreen students. The protocol does not cover faculty and staff. The protocol may apply in incidents off campus. This proposed interim protocol is not in lieu of and does not override established college or external processes and services available to students.

Circumstances When The Protocol Is To Be Initiated--Definitions

The bias incident protocol is initiated in cases of what may be a hate crime, bias incident, or when it is clear that the incident would have a serious impact on groups by virtue of their race, color, religion, ethnic/national origin, gender expression, sex, age, disability or sexual orientation identities. The purpose of convening the protocol response team is not to respond to more private incidents, especially when victims are uncomfortable with a public response, but rather to deal with more visible incidents that are likely to significantly affect the community.

A hate crime is an actual criminal offence motivated in whole or in part by the offender’s bias towards the victim’s status based on race, color, religion, ethnic/national origin, gender expression, sex, age, disability or sexual orientation identities.

A bias incident is conduct, speech or expression that is motivated by bias based on perceived race, color, religion, ethnic/national origin, gender expression, sex, age, disability or sexual orientation identities but does not rise to the level of a crime. To constitute a bias incident, sufficient objective facts must be present to lead a reasonable and prudent person to conclude that the actions in question may be motivated by bias toward the status of a targeted individual or a group.

Reporting of Bias Incidents

Students who experience or witness, and staff or faculty members, who become aware of a possible hate crime or bias incident, are asked to report the crime or incident immediately to a designated college office or official:

• Vice President for Student Affairs                                             867-6296
• Police Services                                                                         867-6832
• Director of Housing and Food Services                                     867-6137
• Campus Grievance Officer                                                        867-5113
• Dean of Student and Academic Support Services                      867-6034
• Director of First Peoples’ Advising Services                              867-6467
• Civil Rights Officer                                                                    867-5371
• Provost Office                                                                          867-6400
• President’s Special Assistant for Diversity Affairs                      867-6368

Notification of the report will then be made to the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs. The Vice President will ensure that the complaint is investigated by the appropriate investigative official as well as convene the response team.

This protocol will be used 24 hours a day/7 days a week.  During regular business hours, the Vice President for Student Affairs, the Dean of Student and Academic Support Services, Police Service, the Director of Housing and Food Services or Academic Dean Should be notified immediately of any incidents which have the potential to be characterized as hate crimes or bias incidents.

During evening and weekend hours, Police Services or housing staff will notify the Vice President for Student Affairs or the vice president’s designee.  In the case of incidents in the living community, Police Services or housing staff will first notify the Director of Housing and Food Service or the director’s designee, who will then notify the Vice President for Student Affairs.

Procedural Steps

• Front-line respondents to the incident should (a) assess and determine the need for emergency services, which may include emergency medical or psychological treatment; (b) determine if there continues to be a threat to parties involved and provide appropriate protection to the targeted individual or group through Police Services.  A list of student affairs practitioners who can be contacted to assist will be available in the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs and in the Police Services office.

• Once an incident has been reported the Vice President for Student Affairs or the vice president’s designee will initiate the case-coordinating protocol, and a student affairs practitioner will be assigned to coordinate services for the student(s) involved. The assigned coordinator will be responsible for maintaining contact with the student(s) throughout the process, from the initial crisis through subsequent periods as needed to address academic and personal issues which may have developed as a result of the hate crime or bias incident. If the student(s) shows any signs of being distraught, contact with the counseling center or crisis center should be made immediately. Based on interactions with the student(s) it may be determined appropriate to assign case coordinators who may be from the individual’s affinity group if possible. If this is not possible, every effort should be made for the case coordinator to identify who within the college community could assist as additional support to the student(s).

• Documentation of the incident should begin immediately. Police Services should be contacted to document possible hate crimes or bias incidents through such activities as photographing physical injuries, offensive graffiti and evidence of vandalism.  Depending on where the incident occurs (in the living community, in the classroom, in a co-curricular program, or on the job), the appropriate documentation procedure should be implemented. Reports should include important details such as when and where the incident occurred and who was involved in or witnessed the incident.  Any physical evidence of the incident (messages written on doors, physical objects, etc.) should be retained and secured for police to investigate and crime scenes should not be disturbed prior to the arrival of Police Services.

• Targeted students may feel uncomfortable about cooperating with an investigation due to fear of retaliation by the perpetrator(s). Impacted students should be assured by investigating authorities that their safety and security are important and that every effort will be made to ensure that their safety is protected and measures, such as relocation and when possible anonymous reporting, can be utilized to minimize potential threats. Any retaliatory behavior by the student suspected of the violation or by his or her supporters may constitute an independent violation of college policy.

• Students who have been identified as suspects in a bias incident or hate crime will be assigned a case coordinator to work with regarding the impact of the incident and the student’s rights and responsibilities and the steps for due process that they will be afforded under the Student Conduct Code.

• Intake investigation and fact finding of all complaints of hate crimes and bias incidents will be conducted by the appropriate investigative teams (police services, campus grievance officer, and civil rights officer). Investigations will be conducted to determine possible violations of college policies and local, state and federal laws and regulations. Students suspected of violations may be accountable under the criminal justice system, the Student Conduct Code and Non-Discrimination Policy.

• Once the most immediate needs have been addressed, the Vice President for Student Affairs or the vice president’s designee will convene the response team. The response team will be comprised of:
• Vice President for Student Affairs
• Dean of Student and Academic Support Services
• Director, Housing and Food Services and designees
• Academic Dean (Provost will refer to the appropriate dean)
• Director of First Peoples’ Advising Services
• Director of Police Services
• Campus Grievance Officer
• Civil Rights Officer
• Executive Associate to the President
• Associate Vice President for Human Resource Services
• Director of College Relations
• Director of Access Services
• President’s Special Assistant for Diversity Affairs
• Director of Student Activities
• Students

• The response team will identify the needs of the affected communities as well as that of the larger Evergreen community.  Informing the affected communities as well as the larger community regarding the incident, as appropriate, will be a major function of the response team.

• An email will be sent to the college community describing the incident and the steps which are being taken, status of the investigation, and that the response team has been assembled. An update should follow once the response team has had an opportunity to assess the situation and determine next steps.

• The response team may organize and hold open forums within the affected communities as well as the larger community to provide information regarding those details of the incident which can be revealed outside of the investigation, to gather suggestions, to denounce such incidents, to reaffirm Evergreen’s values and standards around diversity and equal respect and to educate about hate and bias.

• The response team will be provided with progress reports of the investigation. Given that criminal and judicial investigations are confidential, the team will be kept informed of the investigation’s progress to the extent allowable. Whenever possible, the team will provide assistance to ensure that all aspects of bias-related activities are examined and that the investigation is handled in a manner that is efficient, effective and culturally sensitive. The intent is to send a clear message that the college has zero tolerance for hate crimes and bias incidents and will act swiftly and effectively when such incidents are reported.

12.  The response team will also determine topic program areas for additional trainings for students, staff and faculty.  All efforts should be made to develop trainings for the community that will enhance and encourage inter-group dialogue that focuses on how conversations around issues of racism and discrimination of all types enable all students to be more socially integrated into the campus.

Endnotes

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