Discrimination, Harassment & Retaliation (“DHR”)
It is the CSU’s policy to provide equal opportunity for every person regardless of the person’s protected status. Protected statuses include Age, Disability (physical and mental), Gender (or sex), Gender Identity (including nonbinary and transgender), Gender Expression, Genetic Information, Marital Status, Medical Condition, Nationality, Race or Ethnicity (including color, caste, or ancestry), Religion (or religious creed), Sexual Orientation, Veteran or Military Status.
All Students and Employees have the right to participate fully in CSU programs, activities, and employment free from Discrimination, Harassment, Sexual Misconduct, Sexual Exploitation, Dating Violence, Domestic Violence, Stalking and Retaliation.
Discrimination
Discrimination is (an) Adverse Action(s) against a Complainant because of their Protected Status. Adverse Action means an action engaged in by the Respondent that has a substantial and material adverse effect on the Complainant’s ability to participate in a university program, activity, or employment. Minor or trivial actions or conduct not reasonably likely to do more than anger or upset a Complainant does not constitute an Adverse Action.
Harassment
Harassment means unwelcome verbal, nonverbal or physical conduct engaged in because of an individual Complainant’s Protected Status. Harassment includes, but is not limited to, verbal harassment (e.g., epithets, derogatory comments, or slurs), visual forms of harassment (e.g., derogatory posters, cartoons, drawings, symbols, or gestures). Single, isolated incidents will typically be insufficient to rise to the level of harassment.
Retaliation
Additionally, the CSU non-discrimination policy prohibits retaliation taken against a student or employee that has opposed conduct believed to constitute discrimination that which is prohibited under the CSU non-discrimination policy; which includes filing a complaint about such practices, or participating in an investigation related to a discrimination complaint. Retaliation includes adverse actions that are reasonably likely to deter an individual from opposing conduct or filing a complaint about such practices.
Definitions
View all the CSU Nondiscrimination Policy Prohibited Conduct definitions. Capitalized terms used in the policy are described in Article VII. B. The definitions of Prohibited Conduct should be used for alleged misconduct that occurs on or after January 1, 2023. The definitions that should be used for alleged misconduct that occurred prior to January 1, 2023, are those in the policy in place at the time of the alleged misconduct. For any questions regarding what definitions apply, how the definitions are applied, or any other policy-related questions, please contact the Title IX/DHR office.
Report an incident
Additional details and information about the reporting process and options are located under the Reporting Process section within our website.