The Hate Crimes and Bias-Motivated Incidents Protocol (HCBMI Protocol), which you will find below, was created in response to the 2008 anti-queer hate crimes, after an openly lesbian-identified student had her door defaced with homophobic slurs and thirty-four members of the queer community received hate mail. Some of those who were targeted met with members of the administration to plan the creation of a HCBMI Protocol. In consultation with the Division of Student Affairs, (then) Student Government Association President Neo Morake '09 researched policies at peer institutions, and found especially helpful the Protocol in effect at Macalaster College.
In the summer of 2009, a draft of the HCBMI Protocol was submitted to the Office of Diversity and Achievement. That Fall, Vice President of Diversity and Achievement Elena Bernal asked for community comment. Further, students held two public forums in October to contextualize the history of hate crimes and bias-motivated incidents at Grinnell and to gather feedback for the development of the policy. In Spring 2010, Prof. Karla Erickson asked Elena Bernal for permission to form an ad hoc committee that would continue working on the draft Protocol. A committee of three staff, three faculty, four students, and a faculty chair was formed. This group worked intensively for two months to complete the Protocol and to compose the two related documents posted here, "Glossary, Indicators, and Resources" and "Aspirations and Institutional Memory". We expect that these latter two documents will continue to be works-in-progress, and that the Protocol itself will be revised bi-annually as new ideas become ready for incorporation. Finally, in September 2010, the Protocol was reviewed by and refined by many constituencies, including the Executive Council, the Student Government Association, the Multicultural Leadership Council, as well as staff members in the Division of Student Affairs, Student Health and Counseling services, Campus Security, and Diversity and Achievement.
I am honored to share with our community the work of these individuals: Ragnar Thorisson, Graciela Guzman, Margie Scribner, John Burrows, Albert Lacson, Justin Thomas, Sam Rebelsky, Andrea Conner, Karen Edwards and Dotty Slick, and Karla Erickson.
The Hate Crimes and Bias-Motivated Incidents Protocol is now in effect. In addition, the two related documents offer useful resources and constructive recommendations for the College as we continue to develop a culture of diversity based on mutual respect and civility.
The Protocol honors the individuals who were targeted in the 2008 incidents, who envisioned this Protocol to improve our future responses.
We appreciate your ideas and feedback.
Kathleen Roberts Skerrett
Acting Vice-president for Diversity and Achievement
Hate Crimes and Bias-Motivated Incident Protocol (PDF)
