Representative Adriano Espaillat Aims to Combat Hate Crimes on College Campuses with Introduction of New Bill
The Combating Hate Across Campus Act Enhances Hate Crime Tracking in Higher Education
WASHINGTON, DC -- In a bid to strengthen federal efforts to combat hate crimes on college and university campuses, Representative Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) issued the following statement on the introduction of his bill, the Combating Hate Across Campus Act, which would amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require institutions of higher education to track and record additional information on hate crimes.
“We have witnessed an alarming rise in hate crimes on college and university campuses and must do all that is necessary to ensure these incidents are reported accurately and immediately to local and federal authorities,” said Rep. Espaillat. “Our students deserve to feel protected and especially in academic settings and when these crimes take place on campuses, it is crucial they are treated with urgency and taken seriously to address hateful rhetoric, targeted attacks, and potentially save lives.”
Under the current legislative framework, hate crime data collected and reported by institutions of higher education is mandated to be categorized based on prejudice. The Combating Hate Across Campus Act seeks to enhance this reporting requirement by ensuring that the collected data is not only categorized by prejudice but also disaggregated by subcategories based on the identity of the targeted individual or group.
Key provisions of the bill include 1) collection and reporting according to category of prejudice; and 2) disaggregation by subcategories based on the identity of the targeted individual or group, including but not limited to instances of Anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, homophobia, biphobia, Transphobia, disability bias, ethnic group identity when applicable and other subcategories as determined appropriate by the Secretary of Education.
Rep. Espaillat’s Combating Hate Across Campus Act addresses the growing concerns surrounding hate crimes on campuses across the nation and would require institutions of higher education to provide a more detailed and nuanced account of hate crime incidents to foster safer and more inclusive environments for students of all backgrounds across the nation.