Discrimination is any impermissible act or failure to act, based wholly or in part on membership in a protected class, which adversely affects existing privileges, benefits or working conditions and results in the disparate treatment of—or has a disparate impact on—members of the Mason community.
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 forbids discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, or sex, as well as retaliation against a person because the person complained about discrimination, filed a charge of discrimination, and/or participated in an employment discrimination investigation or lawsuit.
At Mason, University Policy 1201 prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, military status (including veteran status), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, pregnancy status or genetic information.
If a member of the Mason community believes they are the victim of discrimination, or has information about discrimination in the university community, they may promptly submit the facts of the incident and the names of those involved to the Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) by filing a report.
DEI takes any allegation of discrimination, harassment, and/or retaliation seriously and is committed to protecting the integrity of the investigation process, including confidentiality and the due process rights of all individuals. Note that all those involved (the respondent, the complainant, and the witnesses) have privacy interests. Therefore, outside the scope of the investigation, all parties are cautioned not to publicize or divulge the nature of the proceedings, or the identity of those involved.
Allegations and acts of discrimination have far-reaching impacts on the lives, careers, and overall educational experience of everyone involved. Submitting or providing false or misleading information to DEI in connection with a complaint of discrimination with the goal of personal gain or the intentional harm of another is prohibited.