Bias Education Support Team (BEST)

Westfield State University values freedom of expression and the open exchange of ideas. We value diversity, inclusion, and strive to create a learning environment where everyone is respected. Each member of our community has the responsibility to help shape, and raise the level of mutual respect for one another. Westfield State University commits to develop a deep understanding of social justice issues and strives to have it be the core of our values. Occasionally this commitment is not met, and thus we have developed a response team that will guide us in further education, trust and dialogue amongst our campus community. Our mission is to provide resources, support and advice while assuring safety and raising the level of dialogue and education across the University. 

The goals of the response team

  • Support the community member/s who have witnessed or been the target of a discriminatory-related incident.
  • Refer community members to appropriate university and local community resources and educate reporter on what to expect from each resource.
  • Inform the campus community about the frequency and nature of such incidents annually in an effort to continue education and discussion around such topics.  Members of the committee will meet with cabinet level members to discuss trends and potential areas of improvement.
What is a Bias Incident?

A bias incident is an act directed against a person, group, or property, expressing hostility or prejudice on the basis of perceived or actual gender, race, color, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, or veteran status. Bias incidents may consist of verbal, written, graphic, and/or physical conduct such as epithets, jokes, graffiti, negative stereotyping, and threatened or actual physical assault. A bias incident may rise to the level of a hate crime as defined by state and federal law.

Individuals who have been subject to or have information about a bias incident are encouraged to report it using this link: report a bias incident.

What is a Hate Crime?

The Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office defines hate crimes as traditional crimes that are motivated by the offender’s bias toward the victim because the victim is a member of a protected group.

Under the primary Massachusetts hate crime statute, M.G.L c. 265, § 39, there are three elements of hate crimes:

  • Underlying Criminal Offense: The offender committed an assault or a battery upon the victim or damaged the victim’s property.
  • Offender’s Intent: The offender acted with the intent to intimidate the victim.
  • Victim’s Protected Characteristic: The offender targeted the victim because of the victim’s race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability.

More broadly, a hate crime is a criminal offense that manifests evidence that the victim was intentionally selected because of the perpetrator’s bias against the victim. Although there are many possible categories of bias, under the Clery Act, WSU’s annual security report includes the following categories of hate crimes: race, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, ethnicity, national origin, and disability.

How do I Report an Incident?

If you have witnessed an incident of hate, bias and/or discrimination involving a community member, please know:

Every reasonable effort will be made to protect the privacy of individuals who experience, witness, report, and or provide information about an alleged incident. The outcome of any reported incident will take into account the confidentiality and preferences of the involved parties. Please be aware, however, in certain circumstances involving safety or criminal action, we may not be able to guarantee complete anonymity.

The University also has strong anti-retaliation policies that protect individuals who report incidents or cooperate in an investigation.

Anyone reporting an incident through the bias incident reporting system should provide either a phone number or an e-mail address so that we may contact them if there is a need for clarification or if additional questions or concerns arise. Also, those wanting to receive a copy of the submitted report, will need to enter an email address in the top section of the form.

What to expect after your report is filed?

The Chair or a member of the team will contact you to:

  • Identify campus and Westfield community resources to help you understand your options
  • Walk you through what to expect should you choose to utilize the referrals offered

Please reach out to any member of the BEST team should you have any questions or need support. 

Important Terms

Race

Discrimination laws do not contain a definition of “race,” but are interpreted to prohibit discrimination on the basis of ancestry or physical or cultural characteristics associated with a certain race, such as skin color, hair texture or styles, or certain facial features, and on the basis of stereotypes and assumptions about abilities, traits, or the performance of individuals of certain racial groups. All individuals, including persons of more than one race and the following racial classifications, are protected from discrimination: 

  • Black: All persons having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa including, but not limited to, African-Americans, and all persons having origins in any of the original peoples of the Cape Verdean Islands. 
  • White (not of Hispanic origin): Persons having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, North Africa, or the Middle East.
  • Hispanic/Latino: All persons of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central, Latin or South American or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race.  
  • Asian or Pacific Islander: All persons having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, the Indian Subcontinent or the Pacific Islands, including, for example, the areas of China, India, Japan, Korea, the Philippine Islands and Samoa.
  • American Indian or Alaskan Native: All persons having origins in any of the original peoples of North America, and who maintain cultural identification through tribal affiliation or community recognition.
Religion

“Religion” and “creed” have the same or equivalent meaning: all religious and spiritual observances, practices, and sincerely held beliefs.

National Origin

A “national origin group” or “ethnic group” is a group sharing a common language, culture, ancestry, and/or other similar social characteristics.

Persons of Color

Members of the following racial classifications: Black, American Indian/Native Alaskan, Asian/Pacific Islander, and Hispanic/Latino.

Age

For employment purposes, persons 40 years of age or older. For the purposes of access to and participation in University programs and services, all persons of all ages are protected on the basis of age.

Disability

A person with a disability is one who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, has a record of such impairment, or is regarded as having such impairment.

Gender

A person’s sex (female or male). “Gender” and “sex” may be used interchangeably for the purposes of the EO Plan.

Gender Identity

Gender identity is a person’s internal view of the individual’s gender. “Gender identity” covers a multitude of sexual identities including, but not limited to, male, female, and transgender or gender-nonconforming individuals, who are persons whose gender identity or gender presentation falls outside of stereotypical gender norms.

Gender Expression

Gender expression is a term that  refers to the ways in which individuals manifest or express masculinity or femininity. It refers to all of the external characteristics and behaviors that are socially defined as either masculine or feminine, such as dress, grooming, mannerisms, speech patterns and social interactions.

Sexual Orientation

Actual or perceived heterosexuality, homosexuality or bisexuality, either by orientation or by practice.

 

Genetic Information

Any written, recorded individually identifiable result of a genetic test or explanation of such a result or family history pertaining to the presence, absence, variation, alteration, or modification of a human gene or genes.

Marital/Parental Status

A person’s status as single, married, parent or non-parent, where discrimination on  these bases has disparately impacted against those of different protected classes, including gender and sexual orientation.

 

Veteran Status

Any person who is a member of, applies to perform, or has an obligation to perform, service in a uniformed military service of the United States, including the National Guard.