Bias  Response  Team  Training   August  11,  2016   Maugans  Martinelli  Board  Room  A     12:00-­‐2:00pm     Purpose   As  part  of  the  responsibility  of  the  Bias  Response  Team,  all  members  will  participate   in  a  2  hour  training  twice  a  year  in  order  to  stay  up  to  date  on  best  practices,   definitions,  policies,  procedures,  standards  and  expectations.       Learning  Objectives   • Equip  participants  with  tools,  strategies,  and  resources  to  be  effective  in  their   role  as  a  member  of  the  Bias  Response  Team.     • Increase  participants’  understanding  of  Longwood’s  Bias  Response  protocol.   • Increase  participants’  understanding  of  the  structure  and  role  of  the  Bias   Response  Team.     • Increase  participants’  knowledge  of  bias,  microaggressions,  and  hate  crimes.     Learning  Outcomes   Upon  completion  of  this  training  participants  will  be  able  to:   • Define  bias  and  provide  examples.   • Define  microaggressions  and  provide  examples.   • Define  hate  crimes  and  provide  examples.   • Articulate  the  difference  between  a  hate  crime  and  bias  incident.   • Articulate  their  role  and  responsibilities  of  serving  on  the  BRT.     Supplies   • PowerPoint   • Bias  Protocol   • Bias  Response  Team  write  up   • Chart  of  reported  bias  incidents  from  2015-­‐2016   • 2  Case  study  examples     • Binders     Outline   I. Welcome/Introduction  and  grab  lunch  (5  minutes)   II. Review  purpose  of  training  (5  minutes)   As  part  of  the  responsibility  of  the  Bias  Response  Team,  all  members  will   participate  in  a  2  hour  training  twice  a  year  in  order  to  stay  up  to  date  on   best  practices,  definitions,  policies,  procedures,  standards  and  expectations.     III. Review  history  and  mission  of  BRT  (5  minutes)   The  team  was  pulled  together  as  a  result  of  seeing  some  of  the  issues  with  the   bias  response  protocol.  The  way  the  bias  response  protocol  is  put  together,   our  office  technically  was  not  supposed  to  move  forward  with  any  response   until  after  a  decision  was  made  by  the  University  police  about  whether  or  not   the  incident  was  a  hate  crime  or  bias  incident.  If  it  was  a  bias  incident  we   were  then  able  to  move  forward  and  respond,  if  it  was  a  hate  crime  we  could   not  do  anything.  This  began  to  pose  a  problem  because  with  many  of  the   cases  there  was  not  enough  information  for  the  police  to  determine  whether   or  not  it  was  a  hate  crime  which  left  us  in  a  holding  pattern.  Now,  we  would   still  provide  support  and  resources  and  do  the  best  we  could  but  it  was   decided  that  creating  some  type  of  “standardized”  response  or  pulling   together  a  team  would  be  beneficial.       During  the  creation  of  this  team,  I  consulted  NAMES  REDACTED  HERE  and   did  thorough  research  on  the  setup  of  similar  response  teams  at  other   schools  including  Hampden-­‐Sydney  college  and  UVA.  This  team  was  pulled   together  strategically  to  have  a  mix  of  faculty  and  staff,  as  well  as  being  sure   that  there  was  some  diversity  of  identities.  We  also  wanted  to  be  strategic  on   the  offices  represented  and  include  those  that  would  have  the  power  to  push   a  response  through  some  avenues-­‐  especially  the  areas  that  we  see  a  lot  of   cases  come  from  in  order  to  avoid  as  many  hoops  as  possible.  First  and   foremost  our  primary  concern  is  the  students  and  the  campus  climate  and   ensuring  that  ALL  of  our  students  feel  welcome  and  safe,  and  secondly  we   also  want  to  try  to  prevent  any  incidents  from  happening  or  escalating  to  a   point  where  Longwood  ends  up  on  the  national  news.       IV. Mission   The  Longwood  University's  Bias  Response  Team  (BRT)  strives  to  create  a   more  inclusive,  safe,  and  welcoming  campus  environment  for  all  students  to   learn,  to  grow,  and  to  develop  into  socially  conscious  citizen  leaders.  The   primary  role  of  BRT  is  to  manage  Longwood's  bias  response  form,  provide   victim  support,  produce  semesterly  reports  of  bias  incidents,  and  respond  to   acts  of  bias  as  appropriately*.       *All  hate  crimes  will  be  immediately  turned  over  to  Longwood  police.  All  Title   IX  incidents  will  be  reported  and  turned  over  to  the  Title  IX  Coordinator.       Review  requirements  and  roles  of  the  BRT  (10  minutes)   Primary  Responsibilities   1. Provide  support  and  referral  of  resources  to  individuals  or  groups   who  are  directly  or  indirectly  affected  by  acts  of  bias  and  hate.     2. Collect  and  share  accounts  of  bias  and  hate  that  happen  on   Longwood's  campus,  as  well  as  document  the  university's  response  to   these  acts.     3. Collect  and  share  accounts  of  positive  acts  and  interventions  aimed  at   reducing  bias  incidents  and  creating  a  more  inclusive  campus  climate.   4. Recommend  long-­‐term  suggestions  to  improve  Longwood's  campus   climate.   5. Report  directly  to  the  University  Diversity  Council  and  serve  as  a   liaison  to  other  appropriate  campus  offices  or  officials.   V.   What  does  the  BRT  do?   1. Assist  students  and  organizations  directly  and/or  indirectly  affected   by  incidents  of  bias.  BRT  provides  support  by  reviewing  accounts  of   bias,  discussing  resources  with  those  involved,  and  providing  both   formal  and  informal  options  for  moving  forward.   2. Maintain  records  of  bias  incidents  on  campus,  and  present  an  annual   statistical  report  that  summarizes  the  bias  incident  reports  received   during  the  year  and  the  disposition  of  each  event  to  the  University   Diversity  Council  and  the  VP  of  Student  Affairs.   3. Promote  conversations  about  diversity  issues.  Members  of  BRT  will   meet  with  student  groups  to  engage  in  discussions  about  diversity  on   Longwood’s  campus  and  the  surrounding  community.   4. Remain  current  about  campus  climate  issues  and  best  practices   within  higher  education  through  scheduled  monthly  meetings.     *The  complainant  is  in  charge  of  the  process,  and  we  will  not  take  any  action   that  is  not  authorized  by  the  individual/group  bringing  forth  the  complaint.     Composition  of  the  Bias  Response  Team   The  Bias  Response  Coordinator  will  identify  and  select  the  members  of  the   BRT  to  serve  for  a  2-­‐year  term.       Training  for  BRT  members   Membership  of  BRT  includes  faculty,  staff,  and  representatives  of  the  student   body.  All  BRT  members  will  be  trained  and  will  engage  in  semesterly  training   and  continued  education  opportunities.  Members  will  be  trained  on  the  bias   response  protocol,  the  student  handbook  with  particular  attention  paid  to   policies  that  directly  apply  to  bias  incidents,  best  practices  in  bias  incident   response,  legal  issues,  understanding  bias,  and  other  relevant  topics.     Notice  of  Confidentiality   All  inquiries  and  complaints  are  treated  with  utmost  discretion.  Persons  who   submit  a  compliant  have  the  option  of  doing  so  without  providing  any   identifiable  information;  however,  not  providing  the  complainant’s  name   may  limit  the  ways  in  which  the  BRT  can  provide  support  and/or  respond  to   the  incident.  When  a  complainant’s  name  is  provided,  that  information  will   be  shared  on  a  need  to  know  basis.  All  members  of  the  BRT  are  required  to   sign  a  statement  of  confidentiality  as  a  means  to  maintain  the  integrity  of  the   bias  response  process.  While  the  names  of  those  involved  will  be  redacted   during  meetings  and  reports,  the  incident  itself  will  be  shared  and   documented  for  reporting  purposes.     Review  Bias  Response  Protocol  (10  minutes)   VI. Reporting  Process   Within  24  hours  of  a  bias  report  form  being  submitted  or  any  written   documentation  of  a  bias  incident  being  received,  the  Bias  Response   Coordinator  or  her  designee,  will  make  initial  contact  via  email  to  the  victim.   The  Bias  Response  Coordinator  will  then  notify  members  of  BRT  and   schedule  a  meeting  to  discuss  the  incident.  Within  2  business  days  of  the   incident/report,  members  of  BRT  will  meet  with  the  complainant  (if  known)   to  discuss  the  incident  and  inform  the  complainant  of  their  options  moving   forward.  Within  2  business  days  of  the  initial  meeting  with  the  complainant,   BRT  will  meet  to  discuss  the  appropriate  response  to  the  incident  and  will   follow  the  proper  procedures  to  disseminating  information  to  the   appropriate  individuals.       If  at  any  point  there  is  an  incident  that  is  triggering  to  you,  please  inform  the   BRC  that  you  will  be  sitting  out  of  the  incident.  Self-­‐care.       The  full  bias  protocol  and  bias  incident  reporting  form  can  be  found  online   at:  http://www.longwood.edu/diversity/bias.htm       What  are  microaggressions  (5  minutes)   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_85JVcniE_M   Definition:  The  casual  degradation  of  any  socially  marginalized  group   (Wikipedia).     Sue,  Bucceri,  Lin,  Nadal,  and  Torino  (2007)  described  microaggressions  as   "the  new  face  of  racism",  saying  that  the  nature  of  racism  has  shifted  over   time  from  overt  expressions  of  racial  hatred  and  hate  crimes,  towards   expressions  of  aversive  racism,  such  as  microaggressions,  that  are  more   subtle,  ambiguous,  and  often  unintentional.       According  to  Sue  et  al.,  microaggressions  seem  to  appear  in  three  forms:   • Microassault:  an  explicit  racial  derogation;  verbal/nonverbal;  e.g.   name-­‐calling,  avoidant  behavior,  purposeful  discriminatory  actions.   • Microinsult:  communications  that  convey  rudeness  and  insensitivity   and  demean  a  person's  racial  heritage  or  identity;  subtle  snubs;   unknown  to  the  perpetrator;  hidden  insulting  message  to  the   recipient  of  color.   • Microinvalidation:  communications  that  exclude,  negate,  or  nullify  the   psychological  thoughts,  feelings,  or  experiential  reality  of  a  person   belonging  to  a  particular  group.       It’s  important  to  understand  what  microaggressions  are  because  these   microaggressions  can  really  impact  the  climate  here  on  campus  for   underrepresented  students.   VII.   What  is  bias  (10  minutes)   Bias  is  a  tendency  or  inclination;  irrational  preference  or  behavior  that   prevents  unprejudiced  consideration  of  people,  events,  or  situations.  Bias  can   manifest  itself  in  a  performed  negative  opinion  or  attitude  toward  a  person   or  group  of  persons  based  on  their  actual  or  perceived:     • Age   • Creed   • (Dis)ability   • Ethnic  or  national  origin   • Gender,  gender  identity,  or  gender  expression   • Marital  status   • Political  or  social  affiliation   • Race   • Religion   • Sexual  orientation     Bias  can  manifest  itself  in  some  of  the  following  ways:     • Telling  jokes  based  on  a  stereotype  that  intimidate,  harass,  or   threaten   • Offensive  graffiti  or  images/drawing   • Excluding  or  barring  participation  from  university  sponsored  clubs   and  events  based  on  ones'  perceived  identity     • Posting  or  commenting  offensive  or  disparaging  language  on  social   media  related  to  someone’s  identity  with  the  intent  to  harass,  coerce,   threaten,  or  intimidate   • Calling  someone  the  r-­‐word,  n-­‐word,  f-­‐word…  (in  person,  in  writing,   on  social  media,  white  boards,  etc.)   • Using  the  phrase  ‘no  homo’  or  calling  a  person  or  a  behavior  ‘gay’  as   an  insult   • Using  a  racial,  ethnic,  or  other  slur  to  identify  someone   • Writing  offensive  or  disparaging  comments  on  a  white  board  about   someone’s  disability,  ethnicity,  national  origin,  race,  gender,  gender   identity  or  expression,  sexual  orientation,  religion,  or  political   affiliations/beliefs  that  threaten,  coerce,  harass  or  intimidate   • Drawing,  creating  pictures,  or  speaking/acting  in  a  way  that   reinforces  stereotypes,  or  belittles/ridicules  someone  because  of  their   gender,  gender  expression,  race,  ethnicity,  national  origin,  disability,   sexual  orientation,  faith,  or  political  affiliation     Bias  stems  from  fear,  misunderstanding,  stereotypes  and  prejudice   ethnocentrism  culturally  conditioned  assumptions  (adapted  from  "What  is   bias"-­‐  Syracuse  University)   VIII.   It’s  important  for  us  as  an  institution  to  address  incidents  of  bias  because   bias  incidents  can  potentially  lead  to  action  and  it  can  get  the  university  in   trouble.  It’s  a  continuum.  We  also  have  a  moral  imperative  to  prepare  our   students  for  success  after  college  and  unaddressed  bias  and   microaggressions  can  lead  to  more  severe  consequences  after  graduation   such  as  within  the  work  place.       What  is  a  hate  crime  (10  minutes)   A  hate  crime  is  a  criminal  offense  committed  against  a  person  or  property   which  is  motivated,  in  whole  or  in  part,  by  the  offender’s  bias  against  a  race,   religion,  disability,  ethnic  origin,  or  sexual  orientation.  The  police  are   involved  with  all  reported  incidents  and  will  work  with  the  Bias  Report   Coordinator,  NAME  REDACTED  HERE,  to  determine  whether  a  hate  crime  or   a  bias  related  incident  has  occurred.  It  is  important  to  note  that  this  involves   a  crime,  as  defined  by  federal  statutes.  Incidents  may  involve  physical   assault,  damage  to  property,  bullying,  harassment,  verbal  abuse  or  insults,  or   offensive  graffiti  or  letters  (hate  mail).     Examples:   • Harassing  or  threatening  phone  calls,  emails,  or  electronic   communication  reflecting  racist,  sexist,  homophobic,  or  other  derogatory   expression/acts.   • Graffiti  or  vandalism  reflecting  racist,  sexist,  homophobic,  or  other   derogatory  expression/acts.     IX.   Case  studies  (20  minutes)   Please  label  each  level  of  the  case  study  as  a  microaggression,  bias  incident,  or   hate  crime.  Then  discuss  and  decide  if  a  response  is  required  and  if  so,  what   recommendations  would  you  make?     Case  Study  #1   • A  nonblack  suitemate  is  constantly  calling  her  black  suitemate   “Laquita”  even  though  her  name  is  Tiffany.     • A  black  student  is  walking  through  their  residence  hall  and  observes  a   white  student  wearing  blackface  during  Halloween.     • An  African  American  male  student  is  riding  in  an  elevator  and  two   white  men  walk  in  and  say  “what’s  up  y  n*  word”  and  laughs.     • An  African  American  student  opens  her  door  and  finds  on  her  white   board  a  message  that  says  “all  blacks  should  not  exist.”   Case  Study  #2   • Graffiti  that  resembled  a  sign  for  a  particular  hate  group  was  found  in   the  Student  Union  male  bathroom  by  staff  member.   • A  student  finds  a  flyer  of  a  known  hate  group  on  campus  trying  to   recruit.   • A  hate  group  wants  to  start  a  student  organization  here  on  campus.   • A  hate  group  goes  on  Brock  commons  to  have  a  public  event  on  their   hatred  towards  the  LGBT  community.           X. Larger  scale  national  incidents-­‐  What  would  Longwood  do?  (20  minutes)   • Mizzou   • http://www.wfmz.com/news/news-­‐regional-­‐ lehighvalley/Local/racist-­‐vandalism-­‐sparks-­‐protest-­‐at-­‐lehigh-­‐ university-­‐condemns-­‐incident/23360842   • http://www.kbtx.com/content/news/Texas-­‐AM-­‐students-­‐protest-­‐ racism-­‐-­‐376797551.html       How  do  we  avoid  getting  into  these  situations?     How  do  we  respond  as  incidents  escalate?   XI. Create/review  consequences  flow  chart  (20  minutes)   This  is  a  living  document.   There  are  no  laws  for  bias  incidents  so  this  will  be  hard  to  nail  down-­‐  unlike   Title  IX  or  hate  crimes.  We  don’t  get  the  firm  backing  through  law  or  the   institution  in  general  about  these  topics.     Best  Practices  (modified  from  Bucknell  University)   • Restorative  Mediation   If  both  the  reporter/target  and  the  alleged  perpetrator  agree  to  the   Restorative  Mediation  process,  they  will  participate  in  facilitated   conversation,  possibly  with  representatives  of  affected  communities   (for  example,  members  of  a  specific  identity  group,  a  residence  hall   community,  or  members  of  a  student  organization),  to  establish  a  plan   for  repairing  damage  to  those  affected  and/or  targeted  by  the  bias   incident.  This  process  requires  the  alleged  perpetrator  to   acknowledge  their  part  in  the  incident  and  accept  restorative  actions   agreed  upon  by  all  parties.  Note:  The  perceived  severity  and  impact  of   the  bias  incident  determine  whether  this  option  applies  to  particular   cases.  In  consultation  with  the  Director  of  Student  Conduct  and   Integrity,  the  BRT  will  review  the  report  to  determine  whether  this   option  applies.  For  example,  restorative  mediation  would  not  likely  be   available  for  bias  incidents  with  significant  property  damage  or  any   level  of  physical  assault.     • • • •   XII. XIII.     Student  Conduct   No  discipline  action   Reporters/targets  may  decide  to  report  the  incident  and  take  no   further  action.  While  Longwood  University  will  do  its  best  to  honor   this  choice,  we  need  to  respect  the  safety  and  well-­‐being  of  all   members  of  our  community.  As  such,  Longwood  will  assess  various   factors  to  determine  whether  the  community  impact  necessitates  the   University  should  move  forward  to  try  to  seek  disciplinary  action.   Considerations  include  whether  the  responsible  party  is  a  repeat   offender,  the  relationship  between  the  reporter/target  and  the   incident's  targeted  group  identity,  and  the  impact  on  the  community.   Facilitated  Mediation   A  facilitated  conversation  between  the  target/reporter  and  allegedly   responsible  party.  Mediation  provides  an  opportunity  for  the   reporter/target  to  express  their  perception  and  reaction  to  the   incident,  and  allows  both  parties  to  identify  and  agree  on  an   appropriate  solution  that  addresses  the  target(s)  concerns.      Report  to  Supervisor  and  HR   The  reporter/target  can  chose  to  report  the  incident  to  the   employee's  supervisor  and/or  Human  Resources,  so  the  incident  can   be  addressed  according  to  the  faculty  handbook.   What’s  Next?   • Schedule  monthly  meetings   • Mid-­‐year  training/check-­‐in     o What  are  we  seeing  that  isn’t  being  reported?   o What  has  been  reported  this  year?  Are  we  seeing  any  trends  or   patterns  of  behavior?  How  did  we  respond?  What  was  the   consequences/outcome  of  our  response?  What  would  we   change?   o Are  there  additional  steps  we  need  to  take  to  address  what   we’ve  seen  (i.e.  setup  a  meeting  with  the  President,  go  to  a  UDC   meeting  to  address  our  concerns/patterns  that  we’re  seeing,   suggest  policies,  suggest  trainings  to  problematic   offices/departments/areas,  etc.)   o Do  we  foresee  any  large  issues  coming  up  for  this  semester?   Forecasting   o Review  consequences  and  response  flowchart.     Q&A/Website   Bias  incident  log  on  website       Mid  year  Training/Check   • • • • •   What  are  we  seeing  that  isn’t  being  reported?   What  has  been  reported  this  year?  Are  we  seeing  any  trends  or  patterns  of   behavior?  How  did  we  respond?  What  was  the  consequences/outcome  of  our   response?  What  would  we  change?   Are  there  additional  steps  we  need  to  take  to  address  what  we’ve  seen  (i.e.  setup   a  meeting  with  the  President,  go  to  a  UDC  meeting  to  address  our   concerns/patterns  that  we’re  seeing,  suggest  policies,  suggest  trainings  to   problematic  offices/departments/areas,  etc.)   Do  we  foresee  any  large  issues  coming  up  for  this  semester?  Forecasting   Review  consequences  and  response  flowchart.