Ten bias-related incidents were reported on campus last semester, the majority of which were related to sexual orientation, according to data recently released by the Bias Reporting Team.
There were six counts of reported bias based on sexual orientation, according to a letter from the team to University President John J. DeGioia and University Provost James O’Donnell sent last Friday. Ten percent of last fall’s reported incidents involved physical harassment or assault, but 70 percent of all incidents fell under the harassment classification, which includes physical, verbal and written harassment.
Dennis Williams, director and associate dean of students for the Center for Multicultural Equity and Access and a member of the Bias Reporting Team said that students are often involved in incidents that may not necessarily be classified as hate crimes but that count as bias-related incidents.
“Harassment is probably most common, and is, in fact, a violation of the Student Code of Conduct,” he said. “If there is proof and bias is involved, the bias then becomes an aggravating factor in sanctions.”
According to the report, half of last semester’s reported incidents occurred in residence halls, with 30 percent taking place in first-year dorms and 20 percent taking place in apartments. The locations of incidents reported prior to last fall were not collected.
The Bias Reporting System was created in spring 2004 after several bias-related incidents, leading university administrators to implement a new reporting mechanism that went into effect the following academic year.
In the last year and a half, approximately 60 percent of bias-related incidents were deemed to be motivated by sexual orientation or gender identity, and slightly more than 5 percent involved physical harassment or assault.
Eight bias-related incidents were reported in each of the fall 2006 and spring/summer 2007 semesters, and 15 in spring/summer 2006.
Williams said that the implementation of this system has been important in providing support to students who have suffered acts of bias against them.
When a student files a bias report online, one of the seven members of the reporting team contacts the complainant, investigates the incident and then offers advice. In order to avoid false reports, students are required to give their name so that he or she can receive support, but the process is otherwise confidential, Williams said.
If the perpetrator of the bias incident can be identified, which Williams said is usually difficult, the Office of Student Conduct can become involved.
One concern that Williams raised was that the bias reporting system is not visible enough to students, many of whom may experience bias and not know that they can report it. He said the recommendations of the LGBTQ working group on reporting address this concern by requesting a clearer and more visible reporting system.
“We really need to encourage people to report if they undergo these sorts of bias incidents,” he said. “The recommendation calls for a more transparent system that is easier to access.”
After an alleged hate crime against a gay Georgetown student in September, GU Pride led an effort for increased LGBTQ resources on campus, culminating in DeGioia’s formation of three working groups, whose recommendations were made public last Thursday.
Bill McCoy, associate director of student programs and LGBTQ community resources as well as a member of the Bias Reporting Team, said a report was filed in the alleged hate crime case, and the team worked with other university offices and outside agencies in addressing the report.
“We immediately got in contact with the victim, and we worked with other resources in the investigation. A lot was happening almost simultaneously in this case,” he said.
McCoy said the reporting system is an efficient means to record these incidents.
“Prior to this, there was no mechanism in place to document this,” he said.
He said that there is also some evidence to suggest that alcohol is a factor in many of these incidents.
“Another trend seems to be the importance that alcohol plays in these biases. It is not necessarily documented, but it is certainly a trend,” he said.
In order to build a university-wide network that is cognizant of these biases, Williams said that their team has reached out to residential life.
“We’re starting to become more intentional about preventative measures,” he said. “It has now become part of [the Office of] Residential Life training with resident assistants and hall directors so we can make people more aware and get more responses.