Hate Crime Notification

It is an Onondaga Community College mandate to protect all members of the campus community by preventing and prosecuting bias or hate crimes that occur within the campus’s jurisdiction. Hate crimes are criminal activities motivated by the perpetrator’s bias or attitude against an individual victim or group based on perceived or actual personal characteristics.

Onondaga Community College is required to annually report campus crime statistics to the U.S. Department of Education as required by Title 20 of the U.S. Code Section 1092(f). This information can be found on the U.S. Department of Education’s website.

In addition, New York Education Law 129 A requires Onondaga Community College to make available information on its policies and procedures regarding hate crimes and post statistics for hate crime offenses on its own website.

Definitions

Hate Crime: According to New York State Penal Law §485.05, a person commits a hate crime when he or she commits a specified criminal offense and either intentionally commits the act or intentionally selects the person against whom the offense is committed in whole or in substantial part because of a belief or perception regarding the race, color, national origin, ancestry, gender, religion, religious practice, age, disability, or sexual orientation of a person, regardless of whether the belief or perception is correct.

Bias Act: A bias act is conduct that adversely and unfairly targets an individual or group based on the social identity categories of race, color, national origin, religion, creed, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity, familial status, pregnancy, predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, domestic violence victim status, or criminal conviction, or any other characteristic protected under State or Federal law or SUNY policy.

Campus Policies & Procedures

• D4: Investigation of Violent Felony Offenses, Hate Crimes, and Reports of Missing Students

• D8: Bias Related & Hate Crime Prevention

• I5: Prevention of Sexual Harassment and Other Types of Harassment and Discrimination

• N5: Student Conduct and Disciplinary Procedures “The Code”

• Notice of Non-Discrimination

Reporting Options

• Report to the Bias Response Team

• Report to Campus Safety & Security by calling 315-498-2311 (Available 24/7)

• Report to the Office of Student’s Rights & Responsibility with this online form

• Report to Human Resources by calling 315-498-2330

Onondaga Community College’s Response

In responding to a report, Onondaga Community College will offer supportive measures to those impacted and implement remedial actions such as passive or active programming about bias acts. The supportive measures and remedial actions are arranged on a case-by-case basis.

Responses may also include investigation and adjudication, as appropriate, by Campus Safety & Security, Onondaga County Sheriff, the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities, and/or the Office of Human Resources.

Anyone who believes that they have been the victim of a hate crime or bias act, or those who have witnessed incidents of hate crimes or bias, are encouraged to seek assistance at any of those offices.

Penalties for hate crimes are very serious and range from fines to imprisonment for lengthy periods, depending on the nature of the underlying criminal offense, the use of violence or previous convictions of the offender. Students engaging in such behaviors will also be subject to campus disciplinary procedures where sanctions, including dismissal, are possible.

Resources

• OCC Community Care Hub

• New York State Anti-Hate Crime Resource Guide

• New York Office of Victim Services

• New York Crime Victims Legal Help

Hate Crime Statistics

• No hate crimes were reported in 2020, 2021, or 2022.