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Discrimination is different treatment with respect to a person’s employment or participation in an education program or activity based, in whole or in part, upon the person’s actual or perceived protected characteristic. Discrimination also includes allegations of a failure to provide reasonable accommodations as required by law or policy, such as for disability, religion, or creed. 

Discriminatory Harassment is unwelcome conduct on the basis of actual or perceived protected characteristic(s), that based on the totality of the circumstances, is subjectively and objectively offensive, and is so severe or pervasive, that it limits or denies a person’s ability to participate in or benefit from the College’s education program or activity. 

Under Massachusetts law, hate crimes are crimes that are motivated by or against a person or group on the basis of: race, color, religion, sexual orientation, disability, ethnic/national origin.  Hate crimes encompasses not only violence against people or groups, but also crimes against property, like arson or vandalism, particularly those directed against community centers or houses of worship.

Hate crimes can occur in any of the following ways:

• Intimidating or threatening behavior putting a person in fear of imminent physical harm (assault, threats to commit certain crimes); or
• A physical attack (assault and battery, as well as other violent crimes such as murder, manslaughter, and rape); or
• Damage to property (arson, vandalism)

The person or group against whom a bias incident or hate crime is directed this may or may not be the same as the reporting party.  We recommend using one of these terms rather than ‘victim’.