Grievance Procedures
Please refer to the appropriate Grievance Policy for guidance on how to report allegations of discrimination or harassment. Employees should refer to the grievance procedure in the Employee Handbook. Students should refer to the grievance policy in the Student Handbook.
***Please note that the Grievance Policy in this manual does not address sexual assault, sexual exploitation, relationship violence, stalking, or sexual or gender-based harassment. Those categories of prohibited conduct are governed by the College’s Sexual Misconduct, Relationship Violence, and Stalking Policy, which also establishes separate procedures that outline how the College assesses, investigates and resolves reports of such prohibited conduct against student respondents (Appendix A) and employee respondents (Appendix B). See https://www.hampshire.edu/offices/title-ix ***
State and Federal Remedies
In addition to the above, if you believe you have been subject to discrimination or harassment, you may file a formal complaint with the government agencies set forth below. Availing yourself of the College’s grievance process does not prohibit you from filing a complaint with these agencies. Each of the agencies has a short time period for filing a claim (EEOC - 300 days; MCAD - 300 days).
The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ("EEOC"), John F. Kennedy Federal Building, 475 Government Center, Boston, MA 02203, 800.669.4000.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is responsible for enforcing federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of the person's race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information. It is also illegal to discriminate against a person because the person complained about discrimination, filed a charge of discrimination, or participated in an employment discrimination investigation or lawsuit.
The Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination ("MCAD")
Springfield Office: 436 Dwight Street, Rm. 220, Springfield, MA 01103, (413) 739-2145. Boston Office: One Ashburton Place, Rm. 601, Boston, MA 02108, 617.994.6000.
The MCAD was established in 1946 as the state’s chief civil rights agency charged with the authority to investigate, prosecute, adjudicate and resolve cases of discrimination. Led by three Commissioners, one who serves as chair, the MCAD enforces the state’s anti-discrimination laws in these areas: employment, housing, credit, public accommodations. and access to education.
The MCAD protects individuals in numerous protected categories including race, color, creed, national origin, age, disability, gender, gender identity, and sexual orientation.
MCAD is an independent agency of the Commonwealth, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and other earned revenue.
The United States Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (OCR), 8th Floor, 5 Post Office Square, Boston, MA 02109-3921, 617.289.0111, OCR.Boston@ed.gov
The Office for Civil Rights enforces several Federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance from the Department of Education. Discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin is prohibited by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; sex discrimination is prohibited by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972; discrimination on the basis of disability is prohibited by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; and age discrimination is prohibited by the Age Discrimination Act of 1975.
A complaint of discrimination can be filed by anyone who believes that an education institution that receives Federal financial assistance has discriminated against someone on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age. The person or organization filing the complaint need not be a victim of the alleged discrimination, but may complain on behalf of another person or group.