Information and Education

Title VI protections apply to a person’s actual or perceived race, color, national origin, ethnicity, or ancestry, including:

• physical characteristics related to race or national origin;
• skin color or complexion;
• country, world region, or place where the person or their ancestors come from;
• limited English proficiency or English learner status; or
• shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics.

Title VI protections extend to people of any religion when the discrimination or harassment involves actual or perceived:

• shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics;
• citizenship or residency in a country with a dominant religion or distinct religious identity; or
• membership in a religion that may be perceived to exhibit such characteristics (such as Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, and Sikh individuals, among others).

Executive Order No. 31, Nondiscrimination and Affirmative Action prohibits employees (including staff and faculty) from engaging in discrimination and harassment based on race, color, and national origin, along with other protected class statuses. Procedures for investigations are described in Administrative Policy Statement 46.3, Resolution of Complaints Against University Employees.

The Student Conduct Code for the University of Washington (Chapter 478-121 WAC) prohibits students (including undergraduate, graduate, and professional students) from engaging in discriminatory harassment, which includes verbal, physical, electronic, or other conduct based on an individual’s race, color, or national origin, along with other protected class statuses. This Chapter also describes the investigation processes.

These policies can be accessed through the UW Policy Directory webpage.

Harassing conduct that may violate Title VI and relevant University policies includes unwelcome verbal, physical, electronic, or other conduct based on an individual’s race, color, national origin, ethnicity, or ancestry. Harassing conduct may occur in many different contexts and locations, including classrooms (including virtual classes), residence halls, hallways, cafeterias, athletic fields, locker rooms, bathrooms, off campus, on the internet, and on social networking sites and apps.

Examples may include conduct that involves or is based on:

• a person’s appearance, including their skin color, physical features, or style of dress that reflects both ethnic and religious traditions or heritage;
• a person’s accent or name (including names commonly associated with a particular shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics); or
• the fact that a person speaks a language other than English.

Scenarios that may create a hostile environment include:

• At a series of high-profile on-campus protests, signs and chants specifically target individuals of a certain shared ancestry. The protestors circle a building that houses academic units that study certain religions and ethnic groups and prevent students and employees from accessing the building. In response, students and employees from the targeted group make reports to the University that they feel threatened and are reluctant to go back to that building.
• A dry-erase board on a student’s dorm room is defaced with racial epithets that the student finds offensive. The student feels so unsafe that the student makes a request to move to another residence hall.
• An international student is repeatedly singled out by a professor to answer questions about the student’s country of origin and ethnic identity, which the student feels compelled to answer. As a result, other students tease and make jokes directed at that student both in class and outside of class. The student reports to the University that the professor is treating the student differently from others and the student may drop the class.

If online conduct may have the effect of denying or limiting an individual’s ability to participate in or benefit from the University’s educational programs and activities (i.e., creates a hostile environment), then the University would take action under its policies. This is true even if it occurs on a social media platform that is not owned or maintained by the University. Examples of such conduct include:

• A popular professor encourages students to follow the professor’s personal social media site and then repeatedly posts memes that students of a certain shared ancestry find offensive. A student reports this to the University and is considering withdrawing from the class.
• A Registered Student Organization is repeatedly subjected to racial epithets and threats of violence on its social media site. The members report it to the University and consider disbanding the RSO.

If off-campus conduct may have the effect of denying or limiting an individual’s ability to participate in or benefit from the University’s educational programs and activities (i.e., creates a hostile environment), then the University would take action under its policies. Examples of such conduct include:

• Students are participating in a community-based program in partnership with the University. They are subjected to repeated racial taunts and slurs by other non-University students participating in the program. The students ask to be removed from the program.
• A team of employees are participating in a retreat at a local conference center. During some of the breaks, the manager makes derogatory jokes and comments about people from a particular foreign country. Several employees find the comments offensive, express feeling unwelcome and harassed, and begin avoiding team activities. One employee reports to Human Resources that the employee no longer feels comfortable working with that manager.

Anyone can report incidents of discrimination and harassment to the University. Students and employees who are aware of such conduct are encouraged to promptly make a report. Individuals are encouraged to report even if they are uncertain of whether the conduct would fall under Title VI or University policies. Those individuals also do not need to be the focus of discriminatory or harassing conduct to make a report and to potentially have access to University-provided supportive resources.

Information about how to make a report can be found on the Make A Report – Title VI at the University of Washington webpage. Anonymous reporting options are included.

There are several reasons an individual may want to make a report:

• To ensure the University is aware that an incident has occurred and can take action to respond to and address the incident and monitor the environment.
• To access supportive measures and resources (e.g., schedule changes, safety planning, academic adjustments).
• To learn more about available resolution options that would help restore a safe environment for impacted individuals.

When a report is submitted, University personnel will take the following steps:

• Review the details of the situation and assess for immediate safety concerns.
• Identify what options may be available or necessary to respond to a report.
• Contact the person who reported or was impacted (if disclosed) to provide information on resolution options, supportive measures, and additional available resources.
• Assess whether a hostile environment may have been created for the individual who reported or for others and, if so, assess necessary actions.

In response to a report, examples of actions University personnel may take include:

• Providing safety and support resources to those who report and/or may have been impacted by the conduct.
• Removing displays of the offensive speech (e.g., graffiti or posters).
• More closely monitoring the places or context where the conduct has occurred or been reported to be occurring.
• Referring the matter to an investigation office, which may result in a formal investigation and disciplinary action, if warranted.
• Taking steps to prevent retaliation against those who reported or others, including informing those involved in an investigation about University policies prohibiting retaliation.

More information about support resources can be found on the Safety and Support Resources – Title VI at the University of Washington webpage.

The University will assess whether, based on the totality of the circumstances, the harassing conduct is:

• unwelcome;
• based on race, color, or national origin, including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics;
• subjectively and objectively offensive; and
• so severe or pervasive that it limits or denies a person’s ability to participate in or benefit from the University’s education program or activity.

If the University determines that the conduct created a hostile environment for an individual or a group of individuals, University personnel may:

• Provide remedies to impacted individuals to ensure their access to the University’s programs and activities.
• Monitor and take steps to prevent any recurrence of discrimination or harassment for the individuals involved and others within the University community.
• Take action if a report of retaliation is made, such as intervening and investigating the report.
• Provide training or other interventions and support for the University community.

As a public institution, the University must allow protected free speech while taking all necessary steps to maintain an atmosphere that is free from harassment and discrimination. As a result, actions that the University can take, such as disciplinary action for the individuals engaging in the conduct, may depend on the University’s assessment of whether the individuals’ speech is protected. More information about free speech is available on the University’s Freedom of Expression and Community Standards website.