Hate and discrimination have no place on our campus. We all play a role in challenging hate and promoting safety and respect for every member of our community.
Below you can access tools and resources to help confront, cope with, and report acts of hate, harassment, and discrimination on the basis of race, colour, ethnic origin, place of origin, ancestry, citizenship, religion, creed, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, and family status.
If you have observed or have felt impacted by racist, hateful, or biased conduct, the most important first step is to ensure your safety and wellbeing. For immediate safety concerns on campus, call Queen's 24-hour Campus Security and Emergency Services at 613-533-6111 (internal ext. 36111). For a life-threatening emergency, call 911.
Your feelings are valid. If you have experienced hate, harassment, or discrimination, we are here to help. Mental health services are available including 24-hour phone or text support, mental health appointments or drop-ins, and therapy groups.
Access campus supports such as Faith and Spiritual Life, Four Directions Indigenous Student Centre (4D), Queen’s University International Centre (QUIC), Yellow House Student Centre for Equity and Inclusion, and Peer Support Centre.
Make a formal complaint.
If you have experienced hate, harassment, discrimination, or reprisal, you can file a formal complaint.
File a formal witness report.
If you have witnessed hate, harassment, discrimination, or reprisal, you can file a formal witness report.
Share information anonymously.
If you have experienced or witnessed incidents of hate, harassment, discrimination, or bias, you can share anonymously on the IN-SIGHT form.
Information on Harassment, Discrimination, Hate, and Bias
Hate speech is the use of extreme language or a form of communication that expresses detestation for or vilifies an individual or group of individuals based on colour, ethnicity, place of origin, race, creed, gender, or sexual orientation, among other grounds of discrimination under Ontario's Human Rights Code. Hatred is often rooted in anti-Black, anti-Asian and anti-Indigenous racism, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, antisemitism, Islamophobia and white supremacy.
Ontario's Human Rights Code does not regulate or specifically mention hate speech. However, some conduct may include the expression of hate that can contravene the Human Rights Code and/or Queen’s policies. For example, the Harassment and Discrimination Prevention and Response Policy prohibits discriminatory harassment (unwelcome vexatious comment or conduct based on grounds protected under the Ontario Human Rights Code) that is known or ought reasonably be known to be unwelcome.
More extreme forms of speech may be a violation of Canada’s Criminal Code. The Criminal Code prohibits advocating genocide and public incitement or willful promotion of hatred against an identifiable group.
Communication that expresses mere dislike or disdain or discredits, humiliates, hurts or offends a person or group might not be hatred under the Criminal Code but could be harassment under Queen's policies, depending on the circumstances. You may wish to speak with an advisor in the Human Rights and Equity Office to better understand how Queen’s policies might apply to a specific situation.
Queen’s Harassment and Discrimination Prevention and Response Policy, Policy on Sexual Misconduct and Sexual Violence Involving Students (for hate targeting a student's sexuality, gender identity or gender expression) and the Student Code of Conduct may be engaged if online communications amount to bullying or harassment. There needs to be a sufficient nexus between the conduct and a person’s role or status with the University for the applicable policy’s scope provisions to give the University jurisdiction to act.
Queen’s policies will not apply to in-person or online comments that are unpopular, offensive or repugnant but otherwise do not constitute discrimination or harassment. The Policy on Free Expression at Queen's University, which affirms the University’s position on the rights and responsibilities of individuals associated with free expression at Queen’s University, and which includes the right of any person, group, or community to communicate opinions and ideas without interference, censorship, or sanction, including the right to engage in peaceful protest about the content of the free expression of others.
Depending on the context, hateful behaviour that takes place on campus may be considered a form of harassment.
The Harassment and Discrimination Prevention and Response Policy provides a definition of harassment meant to capture hateful forms of conduct or expression that go beyond the bounds of free expression at a university:
“Harassment by Provocation or Incitement” is a form of Discriminatory Harassment involving public behaviour that exceeds the bounds of free expression or academic freedom as these are understood in University policies, which incites hatred, contempt for, or revulsion or severe ridicule of, a person or group of people based on one or more grounds protected by the Ontario Human Rights Code or because of a person’s relationship to, or association or dealings with, such a person or group.
Access Harassment and Discrimination Prevention and Response Policy for more information.
To understand what constitutes harassment and discrimination, as well as the university's policies and procedures to deal with allegations, review Queen’s University’s full Harassment and Discrimination Prevention and Response Policy.
Learn more about Racial harassment, discrimination, and hate/bias motivated conduct in relation to the Student Code of Conduct.
Review the Ontario Human Rights Commission Statement on Anti-Hate.
Read the Ontario Human Rights Commission strategy for 'Taking action to build awareness and challenge hate in Ontario'.