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The purpose of this section is to inform and educate members of the Mount Holyoke community on the processes and procedures related to nondiscrimination incidents. Such incidents work contrary to the inclusiveness that forms the foundation for the College’s educational community, and so the College takes any reports of them very seriously. Mount Holyoke has established a systematic approach for responding to the harm and the impact discrimination can have on the well-being and success of members of our community. Mount Holyoke encourages students to review the content provided.

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI)

Title VI, 42 U.S.C. § 2000d et seq., is a part of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It prohibits discrimination based on race, color, and national origin in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance. The code states “No person in the United States shall, on the grounds of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” (Pub. L. 88-352, title VI, Sec. 601, July 2, 1964, 78 Stat. 252.) Title VI protects 91����Ƶapp�ƽ�� students, faculty, staff and visitors from discrimination in any program, service, and activity offered by the College.

The College is committed to providing an educational and employment environment that is free from discrimination based on protected characteristics, harassment, and retaliation for engaging in protected activity. The College values and upholds the equal dignity of all members of its community and strives to balance the rights of the Parties in the resolution process during what is often a difficult time for all involved.

If a student reports discrimination, harassment or hate crime, they can expect that their concerns will be treated with respect and sensitivity and that each matter will be taken seriously.  

Reporting Incidents of Discrimination

Nondiscrimination incidents are any act, conduct, or communication that reasonably is understood to harass, deny, deprive, unreasonably interfere with or limit the education or employment of  an individual or group based on an actual or perceived: age; citizenship status; color; creed; disability; domestic violence victim status; ethnicity; familial responsibilities; genetic information; marital status; national origin/ancestry; personal appearance; political belief or affiliation; race; religion; residence; source of income; veteran or military status; weight; or any other protected characteristic under applicable local, state, or federal law. The College will respond to reports of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation which it has knowledge/notice of and will take prompt action to eliminate such conduct, prevent its recurrence, and remedy any adverse effects in the College’s education programs and activities, including, as appropriate, by way of the Grievance Procedures outlined below.

Note that there are broader categories utilized here than what appears in the College’s Statement of Non-discrimination. The Statement of Non-discrimination only focuses on categories that are protected by law, while the College’s Nondiscrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy covers categories that are not covered by law, but that are covered under College policies.

Mount Holyoke will act on reports of incidents of bias discrimination received through the on-line reporting form,by a mandatory reporter, or through direct reporting to the Assistant Vice President for Compliance or the Director of Civil Rights. When receiving reports, every effort is made to preserve the privacy of reports and to respect an individual’s desire for confidentiality; however, the College may be legally required to take action depending on the nature of the report. The reporting party will be informed if, in the course of satisfying this obligation, the College may be unable to comply with a request for confidentiality. Reports can be made anonymously with the on-line form and while anonymous reporting can help the College monitor campus climate and inform potential program planning it can be difficult for the Assistant Vice President for Compliance or the Director of Civil Rights to follow up on a specific incident without knowing the parties involved.

Hate Crimes

Under Massachusetts law, hate crimes are those motivated by or against a person or group on the basis of race, color, religion, sexual orientation, disability, ethnic/national origin, gender, and gender identity. Hate crimes encompass not only violence against people or groups, but also crimes against property, such as 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 that puts a person in fear of imminent physical harm (assault, threats to commit certain crimes).
• A physical attack (assault and battery, as well as other violent crimes such as murder, manslaughter and rape).
• Damage to property (arson, vandalism).

Targeted Individuals

A targeted individual is 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. The College recommends using one of these terms rather than the word victim.

Students may go to the following offices/departments to seek help in reporting a Nondiscrimination matter or with filling out the .

• Public Safety and Service
• Office of Residential Life
• Division of Student Life
• Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
• Counseling Service*
• Health Services*

Below are a list of off-campus resources that are available to provide support and information around bias incidents and hate crimes:

• Northwestern District Attorney’s Office
• Office for Civil Rights
• American Civil Liberties Union
• Anti-Defamation League

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), and included amendments, are civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination against individuals with disabilities. Section 504 29 U.S.C. § 793 states that “no qualified individual with a disability in the United States shall be excluded from, denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under” any program or activity that either receives federal financial assistance or is conducted by any executive agency or the United States Postal Service. Section 504 and ADA 42 U.S.C § 12101 ensure that the individuals with a disability have equal access to programs, services and activities of the College. Individuals with disabilities may request accommodations and modifications as a means to gain access to College programs, activities and services.

Under these laws, discrimination on the basis of a disability can be physical barriers or an inaccessible facility that prevents access to a program, activity or service, or denial of an approved accommodation. Section 504 and the ADA protect 91����Ƶapp�ƽ�� students, faculty, staff, and visitors.

Students seeking a disability-related accommodation should contact Disability Services. Disability Services is the only designated office at the College for students to voluntarily disclose a disability or disabilities, submit appropriate documentation for verification, and request accommodations. See more about Disability Services under the Access and Inclusion section of this handbook.

Disability Services approves and facilitates academic, housing, dining and on-campus employment-related accommodations in support of students with all types of disabilities. Students seeking more information on services provided to students and/or information on requesting accommodations should contact Disability Services at 413-538-2634. Students can also visit , send an email to disability-services@mtholyoke.edu or stop by the office on the third floor of Mary Lyon Hall.

The College has also designated a primary coordinator to respond to reports of disability discrimination. The 504 Coordinator is responsible for overseeing the College’s efforts to comply with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act both for programmatic and physical accessibility. The 504 Coordinator will respond to reports of disability discrimination as well as identify and address patterns or systemic problems that arise during the review of such reports.

Lily Schaefer-Calderon
Student 504 Coordinator
section504coordinator@mtholyoke.edu

Shannon Lynch
College 504 Coordinator
section504coordinator@mtholyoke.edu

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (“Title IX”) is a federal civil-rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in education programs and activities. Under Title IX, discrimination on the basis of sex can include sex-based harassment, gender-based harassment, sex or gender-based discrimination, sexual assault, and other forms of sexual misconduct, including stalking and domestic and dating violence. On the basis of sex includes sex, gender, sex stereotypes, sex characteristics, pregnancy or related conditions, sexual orientation, and/or gender identity.

91����Ƶapp�ƽ��’s Sexual Harassment Policy and Procedure covers all Title IX related misconduct and the respective processes. 

The Title IX Coordinator has the primary responsibility for coordinating the College’s efforts related to the intake, investigation, resolution and implementation of supportive measures to stop, remediate, and prevent discrimination, harassment and retaliation prohibited under this policy.

Lily Schaefer-Calderon
Student Title IX Coordinator 
titleixcoordinator@mtholyoke.edu

Shannon Lynch 
College Title IX Coordinator
1 Skinner Hall
titleixcoordinator@mtholyoke.edu 
413-538-2273

More information on support, resources, and pregnancy can be found at: /directory/departments-offices-centers/title-ix.

Please see: /student-handbook/discrimination-and-harassment-policies for updated policies on Resolution of Grievance.

Additional Resources for Resolving Grievances

In addition to or in lieu of the College, the following resources are available. The deadlines given in these procedures are designed to make it possible for an individual to proceed through every stage of the College’s informal and/or formal procedures with sufficient time to file a complaint with the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) or the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD). In addition to or in lieu of the College, complaints can be filed with one or more of the government agencies set forth below.

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) John F. Kennedy Federal Building
475 Government Center
Boston, MA 02203
(617) 565-3200

Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD) Springfield Office
436 Dwight Street, Room 220
Springfield, MA 01103
413-739-2145

Boston Office
One Ashburton Place, Room 601 Boston, MA 02108
617-994-6000

Office for Civil Rights (OCR), Region I Boston Office
U.S. Department of Education 8th Floor
5 Post Office Square
Boston, MA 02109-3921
Main Number: 617-289-0111
Fax: 617-289-0150 TDD: 877-521-2172
Email: OCR.Boston@ed.gov