Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation Policy
Hampshire College does not discriminate and prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex, age, marital status, national origin, mental or physical disability, political belief or affiliation, veteran status, sexual orientation, sex stereotypes, sex characteristics, gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, pregnancy or related conditions, or any other class of individuals protected from discrimination under state or federal law in any of its educational programs and activities, in employment and application for employment, and in admission and application of admission.
> Find Hampshire College's Notice of Non-Discrimination.
Title IX Concerns
Hampshire College has designated a Title IX coordinator for purposes of Title IX compliance:
Amy Fabiano
Interim Title IX Coordinator
afSA@hampshire.edu or Title IX@hampshire.edu
Complaints and inquiries about Title IX or the College’s Title IX Policy & Grievance Procedures can be directed to the College's Title IX coordinator or to the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights.
Other Concerns Involving Students
Complaints and inquiries regarding all other forms of discrimination and harassment involving students can be directed to:
Sheila Lloyd, Ph.D.
Senior Vice President for Justice, Equity, and Antiracism
srlPR@hampshire.edu
Other Concerns Involving Employees & Vendors
Complaints and inquiries regarding all other forms of discrimination and harassment involving employees or third-party vendors can be directed to:
Donna-Rae Kenneally
Senior Director of Human Resources
dkHR@hampshire.edu
Federal Laws
Complaints and inquiries of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation regarding federal laws may be directed to:
U.S. Department of Education
Office for Civil Rights
5 Post Office Square, 8th floor
Boston, MA 02109-3921
617.289.0111
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity
John F. Kennedy Federal Building
New Sudbury Street, Room 475
Boston, MA 02203
800.669.4000
State Laws
Complaints and inquiries of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation under Massachusetts laws may be directed to:
Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination
436 Dwight Street
Room 220
Springfield, MA 01103
413.739.2145
Harassment, Other Forms of Discrimination, and Retaliation
Discrimination
Discrimination is the adverse treatment of any individual based on one or more protected characteristics or status of that person. Such treatment can occur via direct evidence of discriminatory animus or circumstantial information such as that an individual is being treated differently from peers who are not in the person's protected class. Protected characteristics and statuses are race, color, age, sex, gender, sex stereotypes, sex characteristics, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, religion, national origin, ancestry, disability, military status, pregnancy/pregnancy related conditions, or any other protected category.
In employment, discrimination or harassment may begin with adverse actions that may include using different standards of evaluation for employment, promotion or job performance on the basis of protected categories; denying an employee’s request for reasonable accommodations; denying employment opportunity or terminating on the basis of protected categories; retaliation against an employee participating in an investigation of discrimination and harassment.
For students, discrimination and harassment may begin with differential treatment in their education program or activity on the basis of their protected category. This may include using different standards to evaluate academic performance on the basis of the protected category; denying academic, social, recreational, health services and housing on the basis of the protected category; retaliation against a student participating in an investigation of discrimination and harassment.
Harassment
Harassment is unwelcome conduct directed toward a person based on one or more protected characteristics or statuses of that person, when either of the following conditions are met:
- Submission to or rejection of such conduct is either an explicit or implicit term or condition of an individual’s employment, academic standing, evaluation of academic work or advancement in an academic program is used as the basis for College decisions affecting the individual (often referred to as “quid pro quo” or “this for that” harassment.
- The conduct is severe or pervasive that it interferes with an individual’s employment, academic performance, participation in College programs or activities and creates a working, learning, program or activity environment that a reasonable person would find intimidating, hostile or offensive.
Examples of such conduct:
- Offensive or degrading remarks, verbal abuse, or other hostile behavior such as insulting, teasing, mocking, degrading or ridiculing another person or group;
- Racial slurs, derogatory remarks about a person’s accent, or display of racially offensive symbols;
- Unwelcome or inappropriate physical contact, comments, questions, advances, jokes, epithets or demands;
- Physical assault or stalking;
- Displays or electronic transmission of derogatory, demeaning or hostile materials; and
- Unwillingness to train, evaluate, assist, or work with an employee.
Retaliation
Retaliation is any adverse action taken against an individual for making a good faith report of discrimination or harassment or participating in any investigation or proceeding under this policy. Retaliation includes threatening, intimidating, harassing or any other conduct that would discourage a reasonable person from engaging in activity protected under this policy. Retaliation does not apply to good faith actions lawfully pursued in response to a report of discrimination or harassment.
Please refer to the grievance procedures in this policy for guidance on how to report allegations of discrimination or harassment. Please note, however, that alleged harassment, discrimination, or retaliation based on sex, gender, sex stereotypes, sex characteristics, pregnancy or related conditions, sexual orientation, and/or gender identity is handled under Hampshire's Title IX Policy & Grievance Procedures (and not this policy) and should be referred to Hampshire's Title IX Coordinator.