Discrimination and Harassment
Bristol prohibits discrimination, discriminatory harassment, sex-based harassment, and retaliation under the EOP. These protections apply to covered educational and employment decisions, programs, services, and activities.
Protected characteristics
The Plan identifies protections related to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, gender or sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, military service, parental leave, pregnancy, parenting status, and natural and protective hairstyles. Its definitions also address marital status, sex characteristics, and sex stereotypes, and recognize additional protections established by applicable law.
Protection includes actual or perceived identity and association with people in protected groups. A concern can involve more than one protected characteristic. National-origin protections include shared ancestry, ethnic characteristics, language or accent, and related perceptions described in the Plan.
What these terms mean
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Discrimination | An action or practice that harms someone’s educational or employment opportunities because of protected identity or association. It can involve unequal treatment or a policy that unfairly affects a protected group. |
| Discriminatory harassment | Unwelcome verbal or physical conduct tied to protected identity that creates an intimidating, hostile, or humiliating learning or working environment when assessed under the Plan. |
| Sex-based harassment | Conduct involving sex, sexual conduct, or related protected characteristics that may be addressed through the discrimination process when the Title IX formal complaint process is not activated. |
| Retaliation | Threats, intimidation, pressure, discrimination, or adverse action connected with reporting, participating in a process, or opposing prohibited conduct. |
Examples of concerns to report
- A person is excluded from an educational or employment opportunity because of protected identity.
- Repeated identity-based slurs, threats, or targeting interfere with learning or work.
- A practice creates a disability-related barrier or an approved accommodation is not implemented.
- Someone is pressured to withdraw a complaint or treated adversely for helping with an investigation.
These examples illustrate reasons to contact the office; they do not establish a finding. The College evaluates the facts and the policy requirements. Protected expression and academic freedom remain protected under the Plan.
Gender identity and LGBTQIA+ protections
LGBTQIA+ refers to people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, asexual, nonbinary, or use similar terms for their identity. The Plan protects against discrimination related to actual or perceived gender identity, sexual orientation, sex characteristics, and sex stereotypes. Contact the office about identity-based targeting or barriers to participation, including concerns involving names or access to services.
Get help
Visit Report a Concern or contact Johanna.Bielawski@BristolCC.edu. Supportive measures may be available while the office assesses or addresses a concern. A grade dispute alleging prohibited discrimination belongs under the Plan’s complaint process rather than only the ordinary grade appeal process.