•Reassuring someone that they are not
like the negative stereotype of their
marginalized group;Recognizing
and Preventing
Harassment
and
Discrimination
This document is developed by the Equity
and Human Relations Advisory Committee
(EHRAC) of the City of Culver City to share
important and helpful information with the
community. It is developed based on research
(See resources at the end of this document).
This document is for educational purposes only
to provide information on recognizing
harassment and discrimination in the
community. The document also provides
information about behavior that rises to the
level of a hate crime. The EHRAC’s hope and
intent is that by more members of the
community becoming aware of these issues, it
will in some ways prevent harassment and
discrimination from occurring.
Types of behavior a person may observe by
another member of the community include
inappropriate jokes, biased comments,
harassment, bullying or belittling behavior, all
forms of microaggression, and any form of
communication employing language that is
non-inclusive of gender and other identities.
Examples of biasedcomments, harassment,bullying, or belittlingbehavior (not inclusive):
•Treating someone as a second-class
citizen because of their gender, ;race, or sexual
orientation by attempting to restrict their ability
to own property, marry whom they love, or deny
them other civil rights commonly given to the
dominant social group;
•Complimenting a person born and raised
in the United States on their English simply
because they are not white;
•Making inappropriate jokes or negative
comments about someone’s weight or
personal appearance such as telling a thin
person they should eat more food;
•Judging a person who identifies as a
woman as “harsh” or “bossy” when she speaks
with authority, talking over her in meetings or
ignoring her input despite the same behavior
being encouraged when it comes to people
who identify as men;
•Carving racial epithets into a wall, or
posting historically offensive symbols, such as
confederate flags or swastikas;
•Using a slur against others related to
religion or sexuality, such as mocking a group’s
dress, cultural norms or language or acting in
ways that signal to the marginalized group that
they are considered inferior and worthy of
mistreatment or bias.
The purpose of this document is to provide
information and education on the types of
harassment and discrimination that one might
witness, and to provide resources to learn more
about what to do next.
Hate Crimes
Understanding the law as it applies to hate
crimes, being knowledgeable about appropriate
resources, and being motivated can empower
individuals to help to prevent inappropriate
behavior before it rises to the level of unlawful
harassment, a hate incident, or a hate crime.
6. BAKER COLLEGE BLOG ON WORKPLACE
MICROAGGRESSIONS AND HOW TO REDUCE THEM:
https://www.baker.edu/about/get-to-know-
us/blog/examples-of-workplace
microaggressions-and-how-to-reduce-them/
• Penal Code § 422.55 defines “hate crime”
as a criminal act committed, in whole or in
part, because of one or more of the following
actual or perceived characteristics of the
victim: disability, gender, nationality, race or
ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation; or
because of the person’s association with a
person or group with one or more of these
actual or perceived characteristics.
Definition of a Hate Crime
California laws prohibit hate crimes and/or
provide enhanced penalties for specified
hate- related acts:
• Penal Code § 422.6(a) makes it a stand-
alone crime to willfully injure, intimidate, interfere
with, oppress, or threaten, by force or threat of
force, another person’s free exercise or
enjoyment of their civil rights.
• Penal Code § 422.6(b) makes it a crime to
knowingly deface, damage, or destroy the real or
personal property of another person, because of
that person’s actual or perceived protected
characteristic(s) listed in § 422.55.
• Penal Code § 422.7 and § 422.75 – provide
for aggravating factors and enhanced penalties
under certain circumstances when a person
commits a hate crime.
1. RACE EQUALITY FIRST:
https://raceequalityfirst.org/hate-crime-advocacy-
and-empowerment
We encourage you to deepenyour understanding of thistopic by exploring the followingresource websites that wereused to develop the informationand recommendations in thisdocument:
2. SAFE HORIZON:
https://www.safehorizon.org/programs/help-hate-
crime-victims
3. HOLLABACK BYSTANDER RESOURCES:
https://www.ihollaback.org/bystander-resources/
4. CALIFORNIA LEGISLATIVE INFORMATION:
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySe ction.xhtml?lawCode=PEN §
ionNum=422.55
5. LEHIGH UNIVERSITY STUDENT AFFAIRS
BYSTANDER INTERVENTION TRAINING:
https://studentaffairs.lehigh.edu/content/what-
bystander-intervention
Things for you to consider:
•Good judgment. Bystanders who witness
harassment or discrimination should not place
themselves in a position where they will do
more harm than good. Good judgment is
essential when witnessing harassment and
discrimination against another individual.
•Hold others accountable. If someone you
know is engaging in derogatory speech or
behavior, talk to them. Hold them accountable
so they know that you will not tolerate anyone
in your immediate circle engaging in hate
behavior. Drawing the “line in the sand” will
speak volumes to those in your circle.
•Become engaged. Speak up at City Council
and School Board meetings. The more people
who stand against hate, the fewer hate crimes
we will have.
•Educate yourself. Understand the history
of racism in America that some individuals or
organizations have been trying to bury. Burying
the history of racism in America denies the lived
experiences and histories of Black, Indigenous,
and communities of color and can continue to
perpetuate false beliefs and stereotypes about
race, ethnicity, country of origin, and leave BIPOC
communities vulnerable to acts of implicit or
explicit racism, discrimination, bias, and hatred. It
is incumbent upon us all to bring these historical
events and practices to the light, address them,
and look for ways to change the culture and end
hate.
Read books and articles to become more
knowledgeable about our country’s history. Have
conversations with others who have different
viewpoints.
Or visitScan Me To Learn More
culvercity.org/ehrac
Safety
Good judgementEducate YourselfBecome engaged
first