UT Martin is committed to maintaining a safe environment grounded in civility and respect for all members within the campus community. The purpose of the Bias Response Protocol is to (a) manage the timely and appropriate response to bias incidents, (b) implement a plan of action to address the bias incident, and (c) conduct appropriate follow-up to bias incidents.
Bias
A “bias” is defined as any act that is motivated, in whole or in part, due to an individual’s age, race, ethnicity, disability, gender, gender identity or expression, immigration or citizenship status, marital status, national origin, veteran status, religion and/or religious practice, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, weight, political affiliation, medical condition, or mental health.
Bias-Related Incidents
Bias related-incidents are incidents that occur on campus or within an area that impacts the UTM community and which an individual can reasonably conclude is directed at a member or a group of the UTM community due to that individual’s or group’s actual or perceived age, color, creed, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity or expression, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any combination of these or related factors.
Examples of Bias-Related Incidents
- Defacement and vandalism
- Coercion or Intimidation
- Racial epithets written on someone’s dry-erase board
- Racially themed parties
- Bigotry
- Using racial, ethnic, or other slur in a joke to refer to or identify someone
- Threats, destruction of personal property, harassment, or threatening telephone calls or electronic mail
- Ridiculing a person’s language or accent
- Insulting a person’s traditional; manner of dress
- Stalking
- Hate messages and symbols
- Language and imagery objectifying women
- Verbal, physical, or online harassment (e.g. text, social media)
- Damage to property via written slur, graffiti, or hate symbol