24
Right to be Free from Discriminatory Harassment
Neither groups nor individuals may advocate their perspectives and viewpoints on your college campus in a manner that is considered discriminatory harassment under state and federal law , including Title VI .
Passionate , even vitriolic , argument is not harassment in most circumstances . To rise to the level of prohibited harassment under Title VI , conduct must be so severe , persistent , pervasive , or objectively offensive that it interferes with or limits your ability to participate in or benefit from college and university programs or opportunities . The prohibited harassment cannot be premised on the mere expression of views , words , symbols , or thoughts with which some may disagree or find inflammatory . But if a group of students or faculty members is continuously , aggressively , and relentlessly targeting other students on the basis of their race , ethnicity , or sex , they may cross the line from speech to discriminatory harassment .
There is no easy , clear line between hateful speech that you must tolerate and prohibited harassment . Different courts may reach different conclusions about the same situation . And your school ( especially if it is a private institution ) may have policies that define and prohibit as harassment some speech that other courts might permit . If you are respectful and civil , even if you are passionate , you are unlikely to come close to the line . But if you believe that there have been incidents of discriminatory harassment at your school , or if you believe that you are being unfairly accused of harassment for having engaged in legitimate political advocacy , contact your Hillel or AJC , both of which will have the resources to assist you in responding to the incidents and reporting to the appropriate school officials .