Purdue pushes website used to report hate and bias incidents

PURDUE UNIVERSITY, Ind. (WLFI) - "I think it will have an impact. It's a start," President of the Black Graduate Student Association Tyrell Connor said about the Report Hate and Bias website.

A start, Purdue administration and students hope will help identify hate and bias incidents on Purdue's campus with the help of a website.

A bias incident, like the case last week when the "n" word was found on a whiteboard in the Krannert building, is when discriminatory language is used, but the law isn't broken. 

Vice Provost for Diversity Dr. Christine Taylor said administrators saw a need for a reporting system students, faculty, and staff could use.

"We look at sites of other universities to gather what questions we want to ask and have on our site. We spent a good six months in the planning," Dr. Christine Taylor said.

The website lists 20 different types of incidents to choose from ranging from bullying to written harassment. There is also an option to indicate what the incident is regarding such as religion, race, or sexual orientation. 

Dr. Taylor said once the report comes in the University does a full investigation.
    
"There is always immediate follow up with the person who reports because we want to make sure you know that we heard you, we're working with you, and we're going to walk you through the steps that are going to happen," Taylor said.

Taylor said students learned about the website during the Boiler Gold Rush orientation program.

She said posters with the website's information is also hanging in the residence halls, but President of the Black Graduate Student Association Tyrell Connor said a lot of people are left out.

"There's a huge population of students who aren't first years, who don't live in the residence halls so they didn't really know about the system," Connor said.

"No I've never heard of it. I've never seen that website at all," Purdue student Christian Koch said.

"I was kind of shocked I didn't know about this website either," Ethan Hawes said.

Connor said he made an effort to push students and faculty to the website to report any hate or bias incidents as they happen.

He said a lot of students heard about it for the first time.

Connor said he supports the website, but hopes it sparks new initiatives to help put an end to hate and bias incidents on Purdue's campus.

"I believe it's a good start and I'm no opposed to it at all but I don't want the university to feel like that's good enough, but that's just it. We need to continue with that process but it's definitely a good start and good steps moving forward into the right directions," Connor said.

Dr. Taylor said since the website was created two years ago less than 20 students have submitted reports of hate or bias incidents.