Colleges and universities across the country have long grappled with responding to complaints of antisemitism, Islamophobia, and anti-Arab discrimination and harassment. Over the past two years, institutions have been subject to numerous government investigations into the aftermath of their responses to campus protests and unrest following the attacks on October 7, 2023. The challenges faced by institutions are significant and consequential: simultaneously ensuring a welcoming and non-discriminatory educational experience for students, while respecting core constitutional and academic freedoms. However, good faith efforts to achieve a balance and avoid escalation have sometimes led to inconsistent policy enforcement, leaving many students feeling unwelcome and unsafe on campus. This webinar will consider and evaluate foundational principles, evolving approaches, and leading considerations to Title VI compliance in the context of the government’s current focus on antisemitism, but will be broadly applicable to preventing and addressing all forms of national origin and shared ancestry discrimination, including anti-Arab, and anti-Muslim harassment.  

Please join us for this two-hour webinar in which two experienced practitioners will cover:

• The legal foundation, current government guidance, and enforcement posture applicable to complaints and incidents of harassment and other forms of discrimination based on national origin and shared ancestry;
• Legal and practical considerations for addressing protests and expressive activity that may result in complaints of discrimination and harassment, including antisemitism and Islamophobia;
• Approaches to identifying and remedying a hostile environment based on national origin harassment on campus; understanding the "totality of circumstances" that may contribute to a hostile environment for students and other campus constituents; properly assessing and acting on third-party and anonymous complaints; developing a campus culture that supports civil discourse; and
• Practical and procedural steps that counsel and campus partners can take in anticipation of potential government inquiries into institutional compliance with Title VI, including recent calls to appoint Title VI Coordinators on campuses.

Who Should Attend?

This webinar will be of interest to all college and university counsel, particularly those who advise on Title VI matters (including campus policies on harassment and other forms of discrimination), student conduct, compliance, and belonging, access, and engagement, as well as investigators and campus administrators with responsibilities related to these areas.