University stops telling students to call 9-1-1 for 'bias incidents'

Santa Clara University has removed a controversial university policy telling students call 9-1-1 to report “bias incidents.”

Campus Reform previously reported that the California university urging students to report bias incidents—which the university defined as “a speech, act, or harassing action that targets, threatens, or attacks an individual or group because of their actual or perceived race, color, national origin, ethnicity, religious affiliation, sex, gender identity, disability, or sexual orientation”—to the local authorities.

“If [a] bias incident is in progress or just occurred: ALWAYS CALL 911 IMMEDIATELY,” the website stated.

After Campus Reform reported the story, the university removed the directive that students report bias to 9-1-1.

Santa Clara students are still encouraged to report bias incidents—just not to the police. The Catholic university now recommends that students report hate crimes--which the university defines as motivated "by bias and include definable crimes such as threats of violence, property damage, personal injury and other illegal conduct"--to the school's office of Campus Safety.

Alternatively, students may report bias incidents to the Office of Student Life or EthicsPoint, a third party website that allows students to file bias reports anonymously, or to a member of the Dean's staff at the Office of Student Life.

The university did not respond to Campus Reform’s request for comment.

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