IU Incident teams release annual anti-harassment reports, number of hate crime incidents lower than usual

Four IU Incident Teams recently published a dissemination of racial, religious bias, GLBT and gender incidents that took place around campus between July 1, 2010, and June 30, 2011.

Though the number of incidents reported was low, Doug Bauder, a member of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Anti-Harassment Team and office coordinator of GLBT Student Support Services, said it is hard to determine the numbers’ meaning.

“Does it mean that incidents aren’t reported or that no one knows of the team?” he said.

“Or does it mean there were less incidents? One of our fears is that folks experience harassment so much that they just give up reporting.”

Bauder has been a member of the incidents team for more than 15 years.

He meets with the other team members every Friday to review reported incidents and discuss what should be done.

“Many cases are for information only,” he said. “Some of them we follow up. Some people want to talk it through for support. Other people want to do something in the way of mediation if they know the person who harassed them.”

So far this semester, Bauder said the reports have been quiet.

“If I remember correctly, we’re five weeks in and there haven’t been too many,” he said. “Nothing beyond a few in the residence halls.”


From the IU Incident Team Anti-Harassment Reports

Racial incidents

According to the report, female complaints have gone down in the last two years, from 16 reports in 2008-09 to 6 each of the next two years.

The 2010-11 report included the following incidents:

"The police reported that several Asian and Asian American students were assaulted and robbed by a group of African Americans, some of whom were students, after the latter made racial comments to the former. Though various Team members were involved in the campus and community response to the incident, the Team itself did not take direct action."

"A staff member reported that a group of middle-school minority students were subjected to racist remarks while visiting campus as part of a special program. Both 'Hey! The welfare line is that way!' and 'Fuck you, niggers' were yelled at them from passing vehicles. The Team advised that a letter of apology should be sent by the hosts to the students. However, it was decided by those individuals that too much time had passed and that a letter at that time would only serve to highlight the event in the minds of the students.

"Police reported that a male student battered two other individuals, one male and one female. During the fight, he repeatedly called the victims 'niggers.' This case was handled in the campus judicial system."

Religious bias incidents

Total religious bias incidents rose from 14 in 2006-07 to 24 in 2010-11. Graffiti incidents also rose from six in 2006-07 to 17 in 2010-11.

The 2010-11 report included the following incidents:

"Library staff reported that several Hebrew books had been found in various restrooms throughout the building, each apparently having been urinated upon. This was shortly after it had been reported that rocks were thrown through windows at two Jewish student centers and that the Jewish Studies faculty director had been smashed."

"A female student reported that she had witnessed a disturbing event. Another female student was running down the hall when she stopped to speak to a male student. She told him that someone had been harassing her and asked the male to walk with her. She also asked him if he was a Christian, implying that she would not want his help if he were not. A Team member followed up with the reporting student."

Gender incidents

Sixteen gender incidents were reported in 2010-11, all of which were graffiti in residence halls and one on the sidewalk outside of the Indiana Memorial Union.

The 2010-11 report included the following incident:

"On sidewalk near Kiosk IMU the following was written in chalk 'My best friends are the ones who forget what we do and when we’re drunk? FUCK DATE RAPE.' IMU staff was alerted and they said they’d remove it."

— Bailey Loosemore