Resources for Addressing Hate and Protecting Free Speech on Higher Education Campuses
Massachusetts Department of Higher Education Resource List
The Massachusetts Department of Higher Education (DHE) is committed to fostering a safe and inclusive environment for students, faculty, staff and visitors across all of the Commonwealth’s higher education institutions. Sustaining a safe and inclusive environment requires sound policies, practices, and procedures to both protect free speech and promptly address incidents of hate which can threaten overall campus safety and climate, both for impacted individuals and the broader community.
This page is intended to offer campuses and stakeholders resources to help foster safe and inclusive environments. These resources include laws, definitions, policies, and contacts at the state, local and federal levels. This list is not exhaustive, but provides a snapshot of resources that may help sustain safe and inclusive environments on campus.
In case of emergency or a potential hate crime in progress, individuals should immediately report the incident to campus safety, local law enforcement, or call 911. Individuals who witness or are victims of a hate crime can also file a civil rights complaint with the Attorney General’s Office or call the office’s special hotline at 1-800-994-3228. Likewise, campus administrators who suspect that a hate crime has been committed on or within their campus communities should promptly reach out to and consult with the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office and/or the Massachusetts U.S. Attorney’s office via the links and resources set forth below.
If you have questions, you may reach out to the DHE’s Campus Safety Advisor, Amanda Robbins, via email at arobbins@dhe.mass.edu.
State, Local (campus level) and Federal Laws and Resources:
State Laws, Definitions, Policies, Resources, and Contacts
- Massachusetts State Laws, Definitions and Policies
- Massachusetts State Resources and Contacts
- Addressing Hate Crimes in our Communities – A resource guide from the MA Attorney General’s Office (AGO)
- Victims of hate crimes can file a civil rights complaint with the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office or call the office’s Civil Rights Division at 617-963-2917.
- Massachusetts State Police (MSP) has formed the Hate Crimes Awareness and Response Team (HART), a new unit dedicated to enhancing federal, state and local partnerships and liaising with community leaders to strengthen statewide responses to hate crimes and hate-based incidents.
- The MA Task Force on Hate Crimes advises on issues relating to the prevalence, deterrence, and prevention of hate crimes in the Commonwealth and to support the victims of hate crimes.
- The Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS) recently published the 2022 Hate Crime Report for Massachusetts, which recorded 440 reports of hate crime incidents statewide, up from 406 in 2021 and the highest reported since 2002.
Federal Laws, Definitions, Policies, Resources, and Contacts
- Federal Laws, Definitions and Policies
- The Civil Rights Act of 1968, codified in federal law as 18 U.S.C. § 245 (b)(2), permits federal prosecution of anyone who “by force or threat of force willingly injures, intimidates or interferes with… any person because of his race, color, religion or national origin” or because of the victim’s attempt to engage in one of six types of federally protected activities, such as attending school, patronizing a public facility, applying for employment, acting as a juror in a state court, or voting. This law has been expanded by subsequent legislation throughout the years, to include hate crimes relating to religious property, gender, disability, sexual orientation, and gender identity. See 18 U.S.C. § 249: “Hate crime acts”.
- 18 U.S.C. § 247 - Damage to religious property; obstruction of persons in the free exercise of religious beliefs
- Federal Resources and Contacts
- United States Department of Education (US-DOE)
- Secretary Cardona shared a message on May 3, 2024 to uplift resources that can help institutions both foster a culture of safety and inclusion on campus and fulfill their obligations under federal civil rights law.
- US-DOE Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released a new Dear Colleague Letter on May 7, 2024 that offers additional guidance and articulates concrete examples of unlawful discrimination under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 196
- Other resources from US-DOE: Fact sheet on Protecting Students from Discrimination Based on Shared Ancestry or Ethnic Characteristics and Dear Colleague Letters that were sent to schools and colleges across the country.
- The Department of Homeland Security Office for State and Local Law Enforcement (OSLLE) is a resource for state, local, tribal, territorial, and campus (SLTTC) law enforcement. By visiting OSLLE’s website and joining their mailing list, you can receive free training opportunities, research and resources, and law enforcement best practices as they are distributed.
- U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
- Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS): Bias – Motivated/Hate Crimes
- FBI Boston Office contacts:
- Campus Liaison Program, Special Agent Tom Dalton: tmdalton@fbi.gov
- Boston Office, Supervisory Special Agent Brian LeBlanc: bpleblanc@fbi.gov
- To be added to the Campus Liaison Program email distribution list, please email Special Agent Dalton or Supervisory Special Agent LeBlanc.
Institutional Policies and Resources
