Bias or hate crimes are crimes motivated by the perpetrator's bias or attitude against an individual victim or group based on perceived or actual personal characteristics, such as their race, color, creed, national origin, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, disability or alienage.
Bias-related incidents are behaviors which constitute an expression of hostility against the person or property of another because of the targeted person's race, color, creed, national origin, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, disability or alienage. According to New York Penal Law Section 485, a person commits a hate crime when he or she commits a specified criminal offense and either:
Penalties for bias-related crimes are very serious and range from fines to imprisonment for lengthy periods, depending on the nature of the underlying criminal offense, the use of violence or previous conviction of the offender. Students, staff or faculty who commit bias crimes are also subject to university disciplinary procedures and a range of sanctions up to and including suspension, expulsion or termination of employment.
In order to effectively handle incidents of bias-related crimes and prevent future occurrences of such crimes, victims or witnesses of a hate crime are encouraged to immediately report the incident to the Office of Public Safety. Please remember that any evidence such as graffiti, emails, written notes or voice mail messages should be preserved. The Office of Public Safety will investigate and follow the appropriate college adjudication procedures. Victims of bias crime can also avail themselves of counseling and support services through the Office of Counseling & Wellness Services.