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Pamphlet on hate crimes slated for distribution

Pamphlet to provide students with cleaer view of options

by Joshua Weisel

While few if any changes will be made in Oberlin's policy toward racial harassment, the Student Life Committee (SLC), chaired by chemistry professor Michael Nee, is currently working on a pamphlet which will give individuals who feel violated a clearer view of their options.

As stated under Oberlin Guideline "F" from Part 10 on "Social Contact" in the Regulations Book, students, faculty and staff may not participate in "behavior which calls attention to racial identity of persons in a manner that prevents or impairs their full enjoyment of educational or occupational benefits or opportunities."

According to Nee, it is not the policy itself that has problems, but rather, "there has been a singular lack of guidance in the past. People don't know what is available and what can be done." To help solve this problem, a new booklet is being designed to, as Nee puts it, "point various individuals, anyone who may have a problem, to the right people who would cover those issues already expressed in the regulations."

The College's current discrimination policy does not mention hate crimes. Nee said, "What would be basically covered under such crimes is already covered within the current regulations."

Nee said that while various colleges and universities have attempted to install specific hate crime regulations, these policies have been overly vague and as a result have rarely stood up in a court of law.

The new pamphlet will be similar to the booklet provided to give students guidance about sexual harassment, Nee said. The pamphlet is now being discussed by the SLC and should be ready for distribution by the fall 1996 semester.


Oberlin

Copyright © 1996, The Oberlin Review.
Volume 124, Number 16; March 1, 1996

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