Amherst College is committed to creating and maintaining an equitable and respectful environment for all members of its community. Discrimination and harassment on the basis of a person’s legally protected identity can cause both individual and community harm, is unlawful, and is contrary to the mission of the College.
Amherst College also recognizes that sexual misconduct, which is a type of sex discrimination, is harmful in all of its forms. The 2020 amendments to Title IX regulations exclude from Title IX many forms of sexual misconduct that, though not covered by Title IX, are strictly prohibited by the College. These behaviors, collectively referred to as sexual misconduct, constitute discrimination based on sex, gender, or sexual orientation, and are prohibited by this policy. The College encourages anyone who is seeking help or intending to share information about a concern of sexual misconduct, or any other form of identity-based harm, to come forward. The College does not require or even expect any person to understand with certainty which policy may apply to the concern they are reporting. The College will decide whether a report of sexual misconduct falls under this policy or the Interim Title IX Policy and will support all individuals regardless of the applicable policy.
In conjunction with the College’s Nondiscrimination Statement and the Amherst College Statement of Freedom of Expression and Dissent, this policy represents the College’s strong commitment to an environment free from unlawful identity-based discrimination and harassment and to upholding, within the bounds of the law, the free expression of ideas and pursuit of knowledge that are so critical to the College’s mission.
Click for the full text of the Non-Discrimination and Harassment Policy (https://www.amherst.edu/mm/637087).
Contact The Director of Civil Rights & Title IX Coordinator at crtixoffice@amherst.edu for more information.