2009 Rise in Bias-Related Reporting

Eighteen bias-related incidents — accompanied by a vocal response from members of the university community — were reported to the Bias Reporting System in fall 2009, a sharp increase from the five reports filed during the same time period last year.

The Bias Reporting System, now in its fifth year of existence, has seen a dramatic jump in the number of incidents reported, with 37 bias-related acts cited in 2009. There have been a total of 120 reports filed since the system’s inception. Twelve of the incidents reported this fall were alleged cases of anti-gay bias. Almost all of the reports were cases of verbal, physical or online harassment. There were also instances of vandalism.

According to Dennis Williams, chair of the bias reporting team and director of the Center for Multicultural Equity and Access, many more students are becoming aware of the system, in part due to the high-profile instances of bias that have occurred on campus in recent months, and are more willing and ready to make reports than they were before.

“As is often the case with crime, when there is increased awareness within the general community, more people are on alert and aware of outlets,” Williams said.

He said he believes the key to the system’s effectiveness is increased publicity.

“There needs to be a certain level of community-level awareness for the statistics to reflect reality,” Williams said.

Sivagami Subbaraman, director of the LGBTQ Resource Center, echoed Williams’ sentiments in that the rise in reports does not reflect a higher occurrence of bias-related incidents at Georgetown, but rather an increased familiarity with the system.

“Students now have increased confidence that the [bias] reports are taken seriously, and that there is quick and immediate follow-up,” Subbaraman said in an e-mail.

Once an individual reports an alleged bias-related incident, they are contacted by a member of the bias reporting team and made aware of the resources that are available to them, Williams said. “Sometimes they are fine, sometimes they are traumatized. We help them get the help that they need,” Williams said.

Often this includes filing a report with the Department of Public Safety or the Metropolitan Police Department and evaluating whether there is enough information to pursue a Student Code of Conduct violation.

“I think it also sends an important message to the general GU community that we cannot all be safe as long as some of us are not safe,” Subbaraman said in an e-mail.

According to Williams, he and the rest of the bias reporting team hope to increase awareness of the system among each new group of students through programming during New Student Orientation as well as during resident assistant training. He stated that a high percentage of the reports occur in residence halls.

The bias reporting team includes representatives from the Office of Student Affairs, the Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity and Affirmative Action and DPS, among others.

“Getting more people involved allows for better and quicker judgment,” Williams said. “If there are other outcomes beyond counseling, we’re able to get at those things.”

According to the university’s Web site, University President John J. DeGioia created a Hate and Bias Reporting Working Group in spring 2004 to address cases of intolerance and bias on campus. The Bias Reporting System was formed as a result of this working group.