What is DHR?
Discrimination
Discrimination is often used to describe a situation where you have been treated unfairly or differently compared to other people. More specifically, discrimination refers to an adverse action against you that is based on your membership in a protected class, done by someone from or in the workplace or the educational setting. Adverse action means an action that has a substantial and material negative impact on someone’s ability to participate in a District program, activity, or employment. Actions or conduct not reasonably likely to do more than anger or upset someone does not constitute an adverse action under District regulations.
Harassment
Harassment is unwelcome verbal, visual, or physical conduct against someone that is of a sexual nature or on the basis of a protected class where the conduct is severe or pervasive enough to create a workplace or academic environment that would be intimidating, hostile, or offensive to a reasonable person.
Retaliation
Retaliation is adverse employment or education action taken against someone based primarily upon an individual’s participation in protected activity such as an investigation, proceeding, or lawsuit concerning prohibited conduct, discrimination, or harassment as prohibited by state or federal law.
Protected Class
Protected class refers to a group of people with a common characteristic who are legally protected from employment and educational discrimination on the basis of that characteristic.
Protected classes include, but are not limited to:
- Accommodations
- Age (40 and older)
- Ancestry
- Color
- Dating Violence
- Ethnic Group Identification
- Gender Expression
- Gender Identity
- Intimate Partner Violence
- Medical Condition (Incl. cancer & related conditions/genetic characteristics)
- Mental Disability
- National Origin
- Perceived to be in protected category or associated with a member of a protected class
- Physical Disability
- Pregnancy/childbirth/breastfeeding/related medical condition
- Race
- Religion (Incl. religious dress/grooming practices/religious observances)
- Retaliation
- Sex/Gender
- Sexual Assault
- Sexual Harassment
- Sexual Misconduct
- Sexual Orientation
- Stalking
- Any subsequently-added class protected under Federal or State law
What areas are covered?
It is against the law and the LACCD policy to discriminate against students, employees and applicants in the following areas:
- Job advertisements
- Recruitment, applications, screenings, and interviews
- Hiring, transfer, promotion, layoff, or recall
- Compensation, assignment, or classification of employees
- Testing
- Use of the District's facilities
- Training and apprenticeship programs
- Fringe benefits
- Pay, retirement plans, and disability leave; or other terms and conditions of employment
- Admission, access, and treatment in all college and district programs and activities
It is also against the law and LACCD policy to engage in sexual misconduct (including but not limited to sexual assault and sexual harassment) with a student, employee, or other individual associated with the District, on property owned or operated by the District, or involving a participant in a District-sponsored event.
Regional Equity & Title IX Officers/DHR Coordinators
To address issues of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation based on a protected class, LACCD has designated a Regional Equity & Title IX Officers to serve as DHR Coordinators for all District locations. The DHR Coordinators are specially trained to work with individuals who report protected class-based discrimination, harassment, and retaliation and provide information about resources, support services, and procedural options. To make a report about a specific incident, please contact the Regional Equity & DHR Coordinator below assigned to your college or site within the District.
For crimes that occurred off-campus, contact the local police department or call 911.
File a Complaint with an External Agency
The Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) is the state agency charged with enforcing California’s civil rights laws. DFEH aims to protect the people of California from unlawful discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is responsible for enforcing federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of their membership in a protected class.
The Office of Civil Rights enforces several Federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance from the Department of Education.
The District makes no determination as to whether your concerns can be further reviewed by an external agency, and any questions you have regarding those processes should be directed to those agencies. You may contact those agencies directly by going to the appropriate website provided.
College Specific Resources and Options
Your DHR Coordinators have created flyers for each campus with specific contacts and resources available to those impacted by Title IX (gender-based discrimination or harassment) and DHR concerns.