Bias Bias is a broad category of behaviors including discrimination, harassment, and other actions which demean or intimidate individuals or groups because of personal characteristics, beliefs or expression. Examples of personal characteristics or beliefs include, but are not limited to: Sex Sexual orientation Gender identity or expression Race, Ethnicity National origin Religion Disability Acts of bias may include, but are not limited to: Graffiti (e.g., swastikas and other offensive words or pictures) Anonymous email or internet posts containing ethnic or racial slurs Making slurs, jokes or negative comments toward or about another person based on their legally protected characteristic Cyber Harassment Is defined as unwelcome, abusive, intimidating, threatening, or harassing communication that is directed at a person through the use of electronic technologies (e.g., email, telephone, voicemail, text messages, social media, or other internet use) and sufficiently severe and/or pervasive to have the effect of unreasonably impacting the individual's educational experience, working conditions, or living conditions by creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment. Discrimination Discrimination is defined by the Policy on Discrimination and/or Harassment as adverse treatment of an individual based on a protected characteristic regardless of individual merit. Examples of conduct that can constitute discrimination, if based on an individual’s protected characteristic include, but are not limited to: Singling out or targeting an individual for different or less favorable treatment (e.g., more severe discipline, lower salary increase) because of their protected characteristic; Failing or refusing to hire or admit an individual because of their protected characteristic; Terminating an individual from employment or an educational program based on their protected characteristic. Harassment Harassment is unwelcome verbal or physical behavior, when these behaviors are sufficiently severe and/or pervasive to have the effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual's educational experience, working conditions or living conditions by creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment. Harassment directed at a person based on a protected characteristic is prohibited and subject to discipline under the Policy on Discrimination and/or Harassment. Harassment directed at a person without basis in a protected characteristic is also prohibited and subject to discipline under Respect for Others (RRR 1.2.1) Hate Crime A hate crime is defined by law as any criminal offense in which the victim is intentionally selected because of their: Actual or perceived race Gender Religion National origin Sexual orientation Gender identity Ethnicity Disability If you have safety concerns or want to report a hate crime or other criminal incident to the police, you are encouraged to contact law enforcement: Princeton University Department of Public Safety 609-258-3333 Princeton Municipal Police 911 or 609-921-2100 Hostile Environment A hostile environment, a form of harassment under the law, describes a situation created when unwelcome conduct based on a protected characteristic is sufficiently severe and/or pervasive to have the effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual's educational experience, working conditions or living conditions by creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment. Persons affected by a hostile environment need not be direct recipients or targets of the offending behavior; they can be third parties, and behavior that is comfortable between direct participants may be unwelcome to others who cannot avoid observing it. Determining hostile environment harassment is a fact-specific exercise, and not all circumstances rise to the level of the legal definition of hostile environment harassment. For example, isolated incidents or petty slights, while problematic, are generally not sufficient to create a hostile environment. However, it is useful to report seemingly minor conduct because it may signal climate issues that can create the circumstances which allow more problematic, harassing behavior to escalate. It is usually simpler to address minor conduct at an earlier point than to respond to a complaint of harassment through an investigation. Microaggressions Microaggressions can be defined as "brief, everyday exchanges that send denigrating messages to certain individuals because of their group membership” (Derald Wing Sue: Microaggressions in Everyday Life, 2010.) Microaggressions differ from overt, deliberate acts of discrimination because the people perpetrating microaggressions often are unaware they are causing harm. While a single microaggressive act may not violate any University policy, a pattern of microaggressive behavior could constitute prohibited harassment if it is sufficiently severe and/or pervasive to have the effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual's educational experience, working conditions or living conditions. Protected Characteristics Protected characteristics are those personal traits, characteristics and/or beliefs that are defined by applicable law as protected from discrimination and/or harassment. They include race, creed, color, sex, pregnancy and related conditions, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, ancestry, religion, physical or mental disability, veteran status, marital or domestic partnership status, affectional or sexual orientation and/or other characteristics protected by applicable law. Pregnancy and related conditions is defined as pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, or lactation; medical conditions related to pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, or lactation; or recovery from pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, or their related medical conditions. Retaliation The University expressly prohibits retaliatory action against any member of the University community who in good faith: (1) files a report, complaint or grievance under this policy (or with an external entity); (2) opposes in a reasonable manner an action believed to constitute a violation of this policy; (3) participates in University investigations, compliance reviews, or discipline proceedings under this policy; or (4) files a request for an accommodation under a University policy. (For purposes of this policy, “retaliatory action” is defined as intimidation, threat, coercion, discrimination, or adverse educational or employment action; acts of impoliteness and the like typically do not qualify.) Depending on the circumstances referenced above, retaliatory actions may include (but not limited to): • Adverse employment action; • Adverse action relating to participation in an educational program; • Unreasonably interfering with the academic or professional career of another individual; • Engaging in conduct which constitutes stalking, harassment, or assault; • Engaging in efforts to have others engage in retaliatory actions on one's behalf. Sex Discrimination Sex or gender discrimination, including sexual misconduct such as sexual harassment and sexual assault, stalking, and intimate partner violence, is defined by and prohibited under the University’s policy and disciplinary procedures for Sex Discrimination and Sexual Misconduct, which can be found in Rights, Rules, Responsibilities, section 1.3.