Brian Ramos, Shoreline Community College's vice president of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA), announced on February 3 that a staff member experienced anti-LGBTQ+ harassment by a community member while using one of the school's all-gender restrooms.

"On Thursday, January 30th, a staff member was approached in our all-gender bathroom in the 9000 Building and was harassed by a community member who expressed statements that were rooted in hate toward our LGBTQIA+ and immigrant communities. Security was immediately contacted, and the individual was escorted [out] and issued a verbal no-trespass order," Ramos stated.

Although officers from the Shoreline Police Department were dispatched, the person left before they arrived.

"It's crucial to call this incident what it is, plain and simple: hate speech. We stand in solidarity with our colleague and reaffirm that hate speech has no place on our campus," Ramos said. "We are a college comprised of educators and learners who deeply value one another. Our campus must be a place where everyone can thrive, work, and learn without fear of hate encroaching on our shared environment."

The school's Office of DEIA will collaborate with the Human Resources Department to strengthen the Bias Response Team, which reviews these sorts of incidents and recommends training and college responses that are in sync with the community's needs and school's values, so as to rapidly respond to these types of incidents in the future.

"We appreciate the ongoing work of the Office of Safety and Security, and their commitment to being a supportive partner in reporting and addressing bias and incidents of hate," Ramos said. "In response to this incident, they will do more frequent monitoring of all-gender restrooms to ensure they are a safe and welcoming space for all."

The equity, diversity, and inclusion officer at the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges will also work with alongside the Office of DEIA to develop training on how to address these incidents.

"We ask all members of Shoreline Community College to stay aware of their surroundings and actively support efforts to report any observed or known bias. Shoreline Community College remains committed to our LGBTQIA+ community, our Latinx/e community, and all immigrant communities, who are a vital part of our diverse campus," Ramos said.

He also noted that Shoreline Community College is committed to creating an inclusive, diverse, and welcoming community, and that these incidents will not deter the college from important work.

The school encourages those who are afraid of actions by community members to call Campus Public Safety at (206) 235-5860 and to report all bias incidents through the online reporting platform at https://shorturl.at/8Wvaq.