Frequently Asked Questions
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The Westchester County District Attorney’s Office categorizes a bias crime as “any crime committed by a defendant against a victim when that victim (either a person or an institution) is intentionally selected, in whole or substantial part, because of that victim’s perceived race, color, national origin, ancestry, gender, religion, age, disability, or sexual orientation.” All bias or hate crimes are bias incidents, but not all bias incidents rise to the level of a “bias or hate crime.”
The College takes bias-related crimes seriously. Students, faculty, staff, and visitors are encouraged to immediately report all bias-related crimes via the bias incident report form (link). Reports may also be made directly to Campus Safety, the local police or other law enforcement agencies. When a bias incident reported to the College is reasonably believed to constitute a crime, the College also may be obliged to make a report to external law enforcement agencies.
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When a report is received a member of the Bias Incident Response team typically responds within 2 work days. The reporting student may be asked to meet to discuss the incident in more detail, and may be offered support in the form of mediation, guidance with strategies for reconciliation, conflict resolution, minimizing contact, psychological support, and other relevant support resources.
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The Bias Incident Response team is made up of representatives from Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB), Student Conduct, Campus Safety, and Title IX . This group makes a preliminary assessment as to whether a College policy has been violated and determines which other offices are notified of the incident.
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Tracking incidents of possible bias is an important part of understanding our campus climate and learning how to improve inclusion and belonging for all members of our community. Addressing incidents of bias helps the community remain aligned with our Principles of Mutual Respect and promote a healthy living and learning environment.
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It is not possible to make an anonymous report in MYSLC. The identity of the reporting person will not be revealed to any person being reported upon without consent.
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In the event that college policies have been violated, the following will occur:
- For undergraduate students, the Student Conduct Process will be initiated, which may include further investigation and sanctions as outlined in the Undergraduate Student Handbook.
- For graduate students, Graduate Studies will be notified and may investigate and/or administer sanctions as appropriate.
- For faculty and staff, the Dean of the College and the VP of Human Resources will be notified and may investigate the matter and determine the appropriate response.
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We track bias incidents that affect members of the SLC community regardless of whomever else is involved. Although, of course, we may not be in a position to sanction persons outside the Sarah Lawrence community if they engage in bias-related misconduct.
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Yes. When describing a bias incident please include as much or as little information as you are comfortable sharing. A student can always share more information with the Bias Incident Response Team after the initial report.
In the event that the perpetrator of an incident is unknown or unknowable (e.g., targeted graffiti on a building, or a slur yelled from someone in a passing car), Campus Safety will be alerted as incidents of this nature are tracked and monitored.In the event that the perpetrator of an incident is unknown or unknowable (e.g., targeted graffiti on a building, or a slur yelled from someone in a passing car), Campus Safety will be alerted as incidents of this nature are tracked and monitored. -
The Bias Incident Response Team is available to talk with anyone in the SLC community who experiences a bias incident, and can help refer individuals to other areas of support as needed.