Division of Campus Life

Discrimination and Harassment

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Discrimination and Harassment

Brown University is committed to maintaining a strong educational, working and living environment, and prohibits discrimination, harassment and retaliation.

Brown maintains codes of conduct and policies to create an environment that is free of discrimination and harassment and to ensure compliance with applicable federal and state laws that prohibit such conduct. These include, but are not limited to, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

As a teaching and learning community, Brown also remains committed to the principles of free inquiry and expression. Vigorous discussion and debate are fundamental to this commitment.

Isolated incidents or comments (unless extremely serious) will generally not rise to the level of harassment under the Nondiscrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy. The conduct must be based upon an individual’s protected class and be sufficiently severe or pervasive to create a working/educational/living environment that a reasonable person would consider intimidating, hostile, abusive, or offensive. Such behavior compromises Brown’s integrity and tradition of intellectual freedom and will not be tolerated.

Know Your Titles

Title VI prohibits discrimination against any person based on race, color, national origin or membership in a protected class under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.

Title VII protects employees and job applicants from employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin. Sexual harassment is also prohibited under this law, as are all forms of harassment based on membership in a protected class.

Title IX prohibits discrimination based on sex, including pregnancy, sexual orientation and gender identity.

ADA prohibits discrimination against and mandates equal treatment for individuals with disabilities, including providing reasonable accommodations related to disability.

Section 504 prohibits discrimination based on disability in any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance, and it requires postsecondary institutions to have a grievance procedure allowing an appeal of any disability-related accommodations or issues.

Learn More about Discrimination Laws, Policies and Procedures

Definitions for Incident Reporting

Incidents of bias, discrimination and harassment are all acts that target individuals or groups based on their membership in a protected class. Although these types of incidents may be similar, the definitions, responding offices, and disciplinary processes differ. Understanding these issues can help you understand what options are available to address them when reporting an incident. 

Protected Class

Protected classes include race, color, religion, sex, national or ethnic origin – including actual or perceived shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics or citizenship, or residency in a country with a dominant religion or distinct religious identity (including, but not limited to, individuals who are or are perceived to be Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, Hindu, Christian, Buddhist, Israeli, Arab, or Palestinian, or who come from or are perceived to come from other regions of the world or are members of another religious group) – age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, caste, or any other characteristic protected under applicable law or University policy.

Bias

A bias incident is any consciously, unconsciously, explicitly, or implicitly expressed act that targets individuals or groups based on perceived or actual identity. To be considered a bias incident, the act is not required to be a crime under any federal, state or local law, nor does it have to violate University policy. A bias incident can refer to single or ongoing instances of behavior, action, or practice that marginalizes, demeans, intimidates, or threatens individuals or groups based on an actual or perceived membership in a protected class.

Discrimination

An incident of discrimination is defined as unequal treatment of someone because of their protected class. Discrimination is a violation of Brown’s Nondiscrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy when it results in an adverse action or negatively impacts the terms and conditions of an individual’s employment or education, or denies or limits participation in programs, services or activities. 

Harassment

An incident of harassment is defined as conduct that is based upon an individual’s protected class and the conduct is sufficiently severe or pervasive to create a working, educational or living environment that a reasonable person would consider intimidating, hostile, abusive or offensive. A determination of whether conduct is considered hostile is based on the totality of the circumstances of the situation. Isolated incidents or comments (unless extremely serious) will generally not rise to the level of harassment under Brown’s Nondiscrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy. 

Retaliation

Retaliation is an action that adversely affects a staff, faculty, student, contractor, visitor or other member of the University community after they report potential violations. Such action may include intimidation, reprisal, coercion, threats, discharge, discipline or discrimination in employment. Brown prohibits retaliation against employees who make good faith reports of potential violations of laws, regulations or a University policy, recognizing that employees who report violations must be free from fear of retaliation in support of the University’s mission. Acts of retaliation can also be reported via the online reporting form.

Report a Discrimination or Harassment Incident

If you have experienced or witnessed an incident of bias, discrimination or harassment, report it!

Report an Incident

Brown University students, staff and faculty who have experienced or witnessed an incident of bias, discrimination or harassment are encouraged to report it to the University.

Reporting and Complaint Resolution Processes

Brown takes all reports of bias, discrimination and harassment seriously. The University is committed to making the process for reporting incidents easy to navigate and has developed procedures to provide fair, prompt, and consistent mechanisms for the resolution of complaints.

Consultation and Advice

If you have experienced discrimination or harassment, there are a variety of resources available to assist you. Anyone may contact the Office of Equity Compliance and Reporting to request a consultation. Talking with us does not obligate you to file a report; investigations do not begin unless and until a written formal complaint is filed. Email equity_reporting@brown.edu, call 401-863-1800 or report an incident through the Bias, Discrimination and Harassment Incident Reporting Form.

Laws, Policies and Procedures

The Office of Equity Compliance and Reporting in the Division of Campus Life oversees Brown's compliance with University policies and various civil rights laws designed to protect all community members from discrimination and harassment.

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination against any person based on race, color, national origin or membership in a protected class under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects employees and job applicants from employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin. Sexual harassment is also prohibited under this law as are all forms of harassment based on membership in a protected class.

Equal Pay Act of 1963 prohibits wage discrimination on account of sex.

Vietnam Era Veteran’s Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 (VEVRAA) prohibits federal contractors and subcontractors from discriminating in employment against protected veterans and requires employers to take affirmative action to recruit, hire, promote, and retain these individuals.

Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 protects individuals who are 40 years of age or older from employment discrimination based on age.

Age Discrimination Act 1975 prohibits discrimination on the basis of age in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance.

Title IX of the Education Amendment Act of 1972 (Title IX) prohibits discrimination based on sex, including sexual orientation and gender identity, in education programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance.

The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in programs conducted by federal agencies, in programs receiving federal financial assistance, in federal employment and in the employment practices of federal contractors.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 prohibits discrimination against and mandates equal treatment for individuals with disabilities in both digital and physical environments.

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. § 794 prohibits discrimination based on disability in any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.

Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA) of 2008 determines that the definition of disability should be construed in favor of broad coverage of individuals to the maximum extent permitted by the terms of the ADA and generally shall not require extensive analysis.

Brown’s Discrimination and Harassment Complaint Resolution Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) is intended to provide a fair, prompt, and reliable mechanism for determining whether the University’s Nondiscrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy has been violated and, if so, to provide appropriate resolution.

Related Policies

Related Procedures

Reporting and Complaint Resolution Process

Deciding to report bias, discrimination or harassment can be a difficult and highly personal decision. Brown’s Discrimination and Harassment Complaint Resolution Procedure is intended to provide a fair, prompt, and reliable mechanism for determining whether the University’s Nondiscrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy has been violated and, if so, to provide appropriate resolution. 

If you are considering submitting a report, an outline of our process is below.

Any Brown community member – students, faculty, staff or campus visitors – who has experienced or witnessed an incident of bias, discrimination, harassment or retaliation is encouraged to submit an incident reporting form. 

Filing a report notifies the appropriate office that an incident is alleged to have occurred and allows our team to reach out with resources and to help you navigate options, including the option to file a formal complaint. Trained professional staff will review your report to determine if any University policies may have been violated and refer it to the appropriate office for next steps. 

  • If your report involves a bias incident, the Bias Report Team (BRT) in the Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity will reach out and work with you to develop a course of action. 
  • If your report involves discrimination or harassment, an administrator from the Office of Equity Compliance and Reporting will contact you for next steps as outlined below. 

If you included your contact information, an administrator will invite you to meet to discuss your situation. This is an opportunity for you to share more information about the incident, ask questions and learn about formal and informal options for resolution, including how to file a formal complaint, how to report the incident to law enforcement, and the protective and support measures and resources that are available to you.

There are multiple paths to addressing incidents and resolving your concerns, which can be explained in more detail when you meet with an administrator. As much as possible, we respect your privacy, autonomy and decisions about how to proceed. It is important to know, however, that there are certain circumstances when University staff would be required to take immediate action or share information – typically when there is a threat of imminent harm to individuals and or the community or if the conduct involves the suspected abuse of a minor. If immediate action is required, we will explain the process.

An informal resolution may be pursued when the reporting party and responding party agree to engage in a process that does not involve a formal investigation.

If the administrator’s initial assessment has determined that the allegations, if substantiated, would violate University policy, and that the respondent is a covered person under the policy, you may proceed by filing a formal complaint. You may use the information from your initial incident report, or submit a written formal complaint by emailing equity_reporting@brown.edu. In certain instances, the University may make the decision to proceed with the formal investigation.

An investigator may conduct interviews with involved parties and request relevant documents, emails, text messages or other relevant records. Once all relevant information has been collected, the investigator will evaluate the information and make a determination about whether the policy has been violated. If so, the investigator will make a recommendation of disciplinary measures, which will be imposed by the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards for students, the relevant senior officer for staff, and the relevant dean for faculty. The respondent has the right to appeal the determination and discipline.

At all times – and especially during and following times of stress and crisis – there are a range of resources available to you. Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) and the Chaplains are confidential options; visit Seek Support for more.