Office of Anti-Racism

Disclosing and reporting racism, racial harassment, racial discrimination or racial vilification

This document is a visual guideline showing the different ways to report racism. Choose the pathway that feels safest to you. 

Disruption of All Forms of Racism Pathway (PDF)

Please note, this pathway document is not accessible in its current format. The information in this tab is presented as a written version of the graphic.

Step 1. Safest door

There are many pathways you can use to report racism. Choose the one that feels safest to you.

• Human resources
  (Staff and faculty)
• Rady Office of Anti-Racism
  (All Rady Faculty of Health Sciences members)
• Office of Human Rights and Conflict Management¹
  (All university members)
• Ongomiizwin Education
  (Indigenous learners)
• Professional organizations
  Black Physicians of Canada, Doctors Manitoba, PARIM
• Speak up button
  Office of Professionalism
• Student advocacy
  (Learners)
• Student affairs and student services
  (Bannatyne Campus for Rady Faculty of Health Sciences learners)
• UGME/PGME student affairs
  (Undergraduate and post-graduate medical learners)

Once a pathway to report racism is chosen, choose whether to proceed with an informal complaint (step 2a) or a formal complaint under the Disruption of All Forms of Racism Policy (step 2b).

Step 2a. Informal complaint process

• Mediated conversations
• Education on Disruption of All Forms of Racism Policy and/or other rights, responsibilities and offerings
• Upon resolution of the informal complaint, stop.

Step 2b. Formal complaint process under the Disruption of All Forms of Racism Policy

• Proceed to step 3

Step 3. Disruption of All Forms of Racism disclosures and complaint procedure

• Open formal complaint file
• Conduct preliminary assessment
  (Dean’s office, Rady Faculty Health Sciences)
• Send written notice to complainant
• Proceed to investigation?
  • If no, stop.
  • If yes, proceed to next step.
• Investigation of formal complaint
• Investigation report
• Disruption of All Forms of Racism (DAFR) breached?
  • If no, formal notice, then education on DAFR and/or other rights and responsibilities. Stop.
  • If yes, proceed to next step.
• Formal notice
• Potential discipline, restorative processes, mediation
• Education on DAFR and/or other rights and responsibilities
  Once complete, stop.

¹OHRCM does not apply the DAFR policy or provide its investigations. However, formal complaints to the OHRCM are investigated under the Respectful Work & Learning Environment (RWLE)/Sexual Violence (SV) policies and the UM’s Disclosures and Complaints Procedure.

Disruption of All Forms of Racism Policy (DAFR)

This policy constitutes a formal recognition of racial harassment, racial discrimination, racial vilification, and racism. It is an affirmation of:

1. the histories of dispossession, enslavement, genocide, and their legacies;
2. ongoing settler colonial projects; and
3. the humanity, rights, dignity and safety of Black, Indigenous, and racialized minority students, staff, and faculty.

Duty to act

• It is the duty of the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences (RFHS) to provide safe learning and workplace environments;
  • This refers to both physical and psychological safety and well-being;
• Members of the RFHS community must take steps to guard against foreseeable risks that you either know about, or ought to know about;
• In other words, you can’t overlook or disregard the incident/situation.

In accordance with the DAFR policy the following outlines the processes for receiving and responding to disclosures or formal complaints by members of the RFHS university community who have experienced racial discrimination, racial harassment, racial vilification, and/or racism(s).

In brief, this guideline:

• Coordinates supports including immediate measures;
  • Immediate measures may be implemented following a disclosure or formal complaint;
• Recognizes that the individual who experiences racial violence is the final decision-maker about their own interests and should be informed of confidentiality and its limits;
• Sets out a consistent protocol for responding to disclosures and reports of racism(s).

Definitions

“Racism” is the differential treatment of various human racial groups by a dominant racial group rooted in the belief of the superiority of one group over the other. Racism takes many forms, some of which include symbolic, embodied, psychological, institutional/systemic, every day, and interpersonal. Experiences of racial discrimination, racial harassment, and racial vilification can be affected by its intersection with other elements of identity such as sex-gender, sexuality, disability, and age. 

“Racial discrimination” refers to behavior that impedes and disadvantages people, by withholding benefits, opportunities due to their perceived race, colour, nationality, ethnicity, religious, or national origin. 

“Racial harassment” refers to an incident or a series of incidents having the effect of intimidating, offending or harming an individual or group because of their perceived ethnic origin, race or nationality. This includes verbal and/or physical abuse, insults and name-calling, bullying, threatening behaviour, damage to property, displaying and/or sharing racially offensive material and encouraging others to commit racist acts. 

“Racial vilification” refers to a public act that inspires or provokes others to hate, have disrespect, or ruthlessly deride a person or group of people due to their perceived race, colour, nationality, ethnicity, ethno-religious identity, or national origin. 

“Racial violence” refers to any act that targets Indigenous, Black, or racialized people. It is a method of control and domination of those who are regarded as inferior. The violence can be embodied, psychological, everyday interpersonal or institutional/systemic and can be threatened, attempted or committed.

Examples of types of incidents

• Abuse which can harm the self-confidence or sense of safety of a person/group without the recipients of violence being present;
• Abuse which can harm the self-confidence or sense of safety of a person/group, with the recipient of violence being present;
• Violence that harms the sense of acceptance of a person by the whole;
• Non-verbal violence which can harm a person’s or a group’s self-confidence or sense of safety.

Disclosure vs. report

• Disclosure is different from a report. A disclosure is when someone shares information with you about an incident of racial violence. It is an opportunity for connection to resources and supports. How you respond can have a constructive influence on an individual’s well-being.
• Report refers to an official incident report and can lead to either an informal resolution or a more formal process, that may lead to investigation, formal disciplinary, or legal consequences.

Disclosures

Accountability and transparency: our responsibility to you

• It is the responsibility of the RFHS:
  • To implement policies, procedures, education, and training to eliminate expressions of racism(s) in its myriad forms;
  • To foster learning and work environments that fully respect peoples’ right to freedom from racism, racial discrimination, racial harassment, or racial vilification.
• Our goals:
  • Respond to all incidents of racial violence in a decisive, timely, and accurate manner;
  • Increase the racial literacy, knowledge, and anti-racism skills of members of the RFHS community;
  • Strengthen relationships among and between various members of the RFHS.

Considerations/framework for responding to a disclosure

• Understand your role in disclosure. You will need basic tools to help you deal with disclosures made directly to you or relayed to you by others.
• The more we practice our response skills, the more comfortable we will be receiving disclosures and the better we will be at responding to incidents of racial violence.
• Racial violence(s) are forms of trauma.
• Remember that you may be dealing with somebody who is traumatized – primarily or vicariously. While recounting the experience(s) involves additional trauma it is imperative that every effort be made to minimize further harm as much as possible. Thus privacy, transparency, and accountability are paramount. Making a disclosure should not be an adversarial experience; a disclosure should be met with compassion and support (not minimized, denied, nor should the individual be blamed, or shamed into self-doubt, or silence).
• Many individuals who choose to disclose may not wish to report the incident, and may instead be looking for confirmation, emotional support, or information about resources, supports, and/or accommodations.
• Reasons for disclosures differ, as do the needs of the person making the disclosure.
• There is no singular response or process associated with a disclosure; it is an individualized process that is driven by the needs and wishes of that person.
• It takes courage to disclose an experience of racial violence. Remember to always act in a trauma informed/survivor-centered manner:
  • Thank them for telling you;
  • Follow the person’s lead;
  • Accept that their needs may be different from what you believe them to be and they may very well change over time;
  • Do not make decisions for them or tell them they “should”;
  • Acknowledge that this may not be a “once and for all” discussion, so information can also be communicated at a later point.
• An important aspect in most disclosure situations involves identifying appropriate supports and resources.
• Which of the available options is most appropriate depends primarily on the needs of the person you are responding to at that moment:
  • Disclosure is not time-limited;
  • Be aware that every situation will be different;
  • Be aware that the incident that gets reported is unlikely to be the first experience of racism the individual has had and that this will also be impacting their experience.
• Remember their well-being is the first priority!

Additional considerations include

Trust, respect, compassion and confidentiality

• Compassion, trust, and competence are important in how you respond. Each of these will be further built over time and with practice.

Confidentiality

• The RFHS considers all personal information, as well as reasons for reaching out, confidential. If disclosure of information is necessary in order to respond to a request, we work closely with the discloser(s) to determine the most productive way of sharing information. If there is a clear and present risk of imminent danger, the university has an obligation to protect the community, including the individual who experienced racial violence.
• Try to communicate your limits to confidentiality as soon as you can.
  • Tell them exactly what information will be shared and with whom.
• It is important to maintain as much confidentiality as possible after receiving a disclosure.
• Members of the RFHS community who receive a disclosure are expected to honour the choices of the person making the disclosure, and should not submit a report that could interfere with the decision of the person making the disclosure.

Actively listen and believe:

• Be patient- let them know that it is okay to take a break in telling their story. Let them know that they can take as much time as they need;
• The individual determines how much or how little to disclose depending on their level of comfort;
• Validate and affirm their feelings.

Ask them what they need and how you can help

Consider their safety; discuss options and supports:

• Protection from threats, retaliation, reprisal: explore the need for immediate measures to protect the targets/victims of racist incidents from further harm;
• With permission consider and approach those who need to support any immediate measures.

Examples

• Immediate measures refer to changes to a University Member’s work or learning environment.
• Immediate measures are non-disciplinary measures that may be imposed:
  • Where there is reasonable cause to believe that such measures are necessary in order to protect the safety of the work and learning environment;
  • To discourage reprisal, prevent further incidents, or preserve the University’s ability to conduct a fair investigation;
  • Where circumstances are urgent or immediate safety measures are required, immediate measures may be imposed prior to the submission of a Formal Complaint.

Available accommodations may include:

• Leave of absence;
• Authorized withdrawal;
• Extensions on assignments;
• Deferrals of exams;
• Rearrangement of work schedules;
• Changes to supervision or placements;
• Safety planning. 

A complainant, respondent, witness, and/or any other person who has sought advice regarding the DAFR Policy, who has brought forward allegations of a Breach, who has made a Formal Complaint, who has cooperated with an Investigation, is entitled to be protected from a Reprisal. 

An individual may complain about a reprisal, to the investigator, the Office of Professionalism, or to the Office of Human Rights and Conflict Management (OHRCM).

A person receiving a disclosure may be required to share the information they receive if:

1. A person is at risk of self-harm or of harming others;
2. There is imminent risk of harm to the RFHS Community and/or the broader community;
3. A minor or vulnerable person is endangered; or
4. Disclosing the information is otherwise required by law.

For students affected by racial discrimination, racial harassment, racial vilification, or racism the RFHS will: 

1. Provide reasonable academic accommodations (such as extensions on assignments, deferrals of exams, leaves of absences, authorized withdrawals, etc.) and;
2. Create a safety plan in consultation with the University's Student Support Case Manager, UMSS, and other offices as appropriate.

For employees affected by Racial Discrimination, Racial Harassment, or Racial Vilification, or Racism the RFHS will:

1. Provide reasonable work accommodations, in consultation with Human Resources; and
2. Create a safety plan in consultation with the Unit Head, UMSS, and other Offices as appropriate.

Connect with supports

For the person who receives the initial disclosure, next steps are shaped by a number of factors, some of which include:

• The experience and needs of the individual and the nature of the incident(s):
  • For example - are they seeking resources/validation/wanting to make a formal complaint?
  • Your knowledge, experience, and comfort level
• It is important to ask them how they want to be supported.
• If you are unsure about how to proceed, and it is not appropriate for you to contact a supervisor/manager, contact the Director of the Office of Anti-Racism.

Debrief and consultation

It can be difficult to hear/receive a disclosure and to learn of the racial violence that an individual has experienced.

It is important to acknowledge the impact a disclosure may have on you and that you seek support for yourself (e.g., confidentially debrief with a trusted support person; not sharing any identifying information/disclosing to anyone involved in the same communities of the target or the alleged perpetrator).

Check in/Follow up

It takes a great deal of courage for someone who has experienced racial violence to disclose their experiences. They may not have known what they needed right away and that is fine. 

Contacting that person via email to check in is a supportive response to receiving a disclosure (they may not respond, and it is important to let them know that they are not required to respond). 

Following up that demonstrates that we take these matters seriously and are committed to building trust and creating safer learning and work environments for members of the RFHS.

Reporting racial discrimination, racial harassment, racial vilification or racism

You have rights:

All members of the RFHS are entitled to support if they have experienced any form of racial violence. You can also obtain support and information regardless of whether you wish to file a report.

• To be safe and free from harm (physical, psychological, cultural);
• To have learning and work environments that fully respect peoples’ right to freedom from racism, racial discrimination, racial harassment, or racial vilification;
• To be treated fairly;
• Supports and wellness.

You have the right to report

Reporting is voluntary and is not required for support services. It is your decision, and you do not have to make it alone. Should you wish, a Black, Indigenous, or racialized minority support person can assist you throughout disclosure, reporting, and complaint process.

Why some people report or don’t report

It is important to recognize that acts of racism are typically under-reported. In the context of existing racial hierarchies and inequalities, research has shown there is often a high level of risk involved in reporting incidents of racism, racial harassment, racial discrimination or racial vilification.

Reporting may result in people feeling ostracized in the work environment, being labelled a “troublemaker” or “complainer,” or have their job security or career advancement threatened. Under-reporting can have adverse consequences as targets/victims may not feel safe or feel that justice has been served, they may feel disempowered and might ultimately decide that it is less risky to just accept such incidents. 

It can also affect members of the RFHS community as racism and racial discrimination begin to be tolerated and accepted, thus rendering the timely and decisive response to such incidents impossible. It is therefore imperative for targets/victims to be encouraged, protected, and urged to report such incidents.

Why do some people report?

Reporting is usually required to initiate either an informal resolution process, or a formal complaint process including an investigation, findings, and recommendations for follow-up action.

Why do some people avoid reporting?

There are many valid reasons people choose not to report. Since reporting can lead to investigation, some do not wish to pursue it. It is an individual’s decision, and they do not have to share their reasons with anyone.

Some of the reasons people do not report:

• Fear of reporting acts of racism because they believe that the university will not respond effectively;
• They are not comfortable with, or do not trust either the reporting mechanisms or the process;
• Under representation of Black, Indigenous, and racialized minority people in the RFHS may leave a person feeling vulnerable, exposed, and potentially a target for additional violence;
• They are unsure of who to trust or where to go for support;
• Concern about being identified as the person who made the claim; fear of judgment or reprisal;
• Concern over losing their job or placement;
• They dealt with it on their own or didn’t require support;
• Resignation - they assume that nothing will change even if they report their experiences or seek support;
• Not clear how to report as a witness or person who stands in solidarity with the target(s) of racial violence;
• They feel as though racism is not a priority of the Faculty;
• They fear their experience(s) of racial violence will not be believed, understood, or taken seriously.

Why you should consider reporting

Experiencing and/or witnessing racial violence can be stressful and traumatizing. We recognize that fear, skepticism, mistrust, and history may make people reluctant or hesitant to report an incident of racial violence. Building trust takes time. We are committed to racial justice, social justice, and human rights. Our stated commitments are reflected in our actions:

We were the first faculty or post-secondary institution in Canada to establish an Anti-Racism Policy. We have a dedicated Office of Anti-Racism, an active anti-racism education program that includes training modules, LibGuides, an anti-racism and social justice toolkit, and events such as the Dialogues of Disruption Speaker Series. We have invested in Restorative Justice to ensure that alternative accountability pathways are available to members of the RFHS.

We hope that you will give us a chance to build trust. Not reporting an incident of racial violence can send the message that racism is acceptable. Reporting is an opportunity to offer support, to learn and address the harms of racial violence, and to advance our commitments and strengthen our relationships. Reporting is opportunity to ensure that we create work and learning environments that support equality of opportunity, access, and participation in the RFHS and the wider health care work force. Reporting makes a strong individual (and broader) statement that supports the autonomy and courage of the target/victim, and it can be an opportunity for the perpetrator to think differently about their actions and to make necessary changes.

How to report

Follow these steps if you wish to file a complaint of racism, racial harassment, racial discrimination or racial vilification under the Disruption of All Forms of Racism Policy.

Reporting options: “No wrong door” approach

You have access to a range of reporting options and can choose to engage with any, all, or none of them. The RFHS adopts a “no wrong door” reporting approach regarding racism concerns that centers the needs of the person(s) who has experienced racial violence and is trauma- and violence- informed in its processes.

What does ‘no wrong door’ mean?

Safest door - ways you can report: Disclosures can be made to anyone and are usually made to a person who the individual knows and/or trusts. There are many pathways you can use to report racism. Choose the one that feels safest to you:

• Human resources (staff and faculty)
• Ongomiizwin Education (Indigenous learners)
• UGME/PGME Student Affairs
• Speak up
• Student Advocacy
• Student Affairs and Student Services (Bannatyne Campus for RFHS learners)
• Office of Human Rights and Conflict Management
• Professional organizations
• By email, verbally, by the Speak up button (found throughout the faculty and all college sites, usually on the student experience page), or by letter.

If you wish to report by email, write and mail a letter, send it to: 
Dr. Delia Douglas, Director of the Rady Office of Anti-Racism

If you wish to make a verbal report you can contact a manager, supervisor, course leader, department head, dean, or other trusted academic staff or faculty member. You may also contact the Office of Human Rights and Conflict Management, the Office or Associate Dean of Professionalism, or the Director of the Rady Office of Anti-Racism.

Note: Nothing in this Policy is intended to discourage or prevent a member of the RFHS Community from filing a complaint with the Manitoba Human Rights Commission, professional regulatory bodies or organizations (e.g., Doctors Manitoba, Black Physicians of Canada, and other healthcare practitioner organizations), or from exercising any other legal rights pursuant to any other law or policy.

It is possible to make an anonymous report by email or by letter. In the case of an anonymous report, the Director of the Office of Anti-Racism in collaboration with others who may include the Office of Professionalism, OHRCM, Vice Dean Indigenous Health, Social Justice, and Anti-Racism, and the Dean, will determine if there is enough evidence to proceed. If an anonymous report is made by a third party, the target/victim has the right to be informed of any investigation activated by this report but does not have to participate in the investigation.

Third party reporting

This refers to a form of anonymous reporting where someone who has experienced racism can report it through someone else who then accesses one of the established reporting mechanisms to report the experience. 

Third party reporting offers the option of reporting the details of an experience or experiences of racism anonymously when individuals are not ready or willing to participate in an investigation because of the risk of reprisal or further racial violence. Third party reporting can be an important procedure to address under-reporting of racism. Investigation of such disclosures or reports may not be possible, depending on the availability of evidence and the desires of the person or people who experienced the harm being reported.

Disruption of All Forms of Racism Policy: Reporting and Complaint Procedure

Informal resolution process:

• Mediated conversations
• Education on DAFR and/or other rights, responsibilities, and offerings
• Restorative justice

Restorative justice represents an emerging approach within our informal resolution processes, offering a pathway for addressing harms caused by racism. This approach also allows individuals affected by racism the opportunity to participate in dialogue and healing. This initiative acknowledges that addressing harm requires moving beyond punitive measures to address root causes of discrimination to foster reconciliation. It necessitates understanding the impact of systemic inequities and utilizes dialogue to foster healing and accountability.

We are committed to ongoing evaluation and refinement of this process, informed by best practices, community feedback, and principles of equity, and reconciliation. The introduction of this optional component within our informal resolution processes is part of our ongoing commitment to creating a more equitable and inclusive university community. We are further committed to ensuring that any implementation of restorative justice aligns with the Indigenous principles of safety, respect, self-determination, and decolonization.

Formal complaint process

A Formal Complaint file is opened.

Once a report has been filed in writing, a preliminary assessment is conducted by the Dean’s Office, RFHS. A written notice is sent to the complainant.

During this review, the Dean and Vice Dean of Indigenous Health, Social Justice, and Anti-Racism will determine next steps, including: 

• whether there is jurisdiction (0ften in consultation with the Office of Professionalism and OHRCM) to investigate,
• whether mediation should be proposed to the parties, and
• whether any Immediate Measures are warranted to protect any Member of the University Community.

If an investigation is initiated by the Dean of the Rady Faculty, it will:

• Be trauma-informed, and addressed through an integrative antiracism lens;
• Maintain procedural fairness;
• Recognize and account for intersectional identities and experiences, as well as the varied effects of racial violence on different members of Black, Indigenous, and racialized minority communities; and be conducted and completed as efficiently as possible.

At the end of the investigation, the special investigator will provide a written report to the Dean and Vice Dean and the parties that includes:

• The findings;
• Reach a conclusion as to whether the evidence is sufficient to find that the DAFR Policy was breached. If it is determined that a breach occurred – there will be recommendations as to whether restorative processes, mediation, and/or administrative measures should be taken;
• The Dean will issue a final decision based on this report, which will be communicated to all parties within 14 days of receiving the report (or of receiving any requested clarifications);
• Following this, administrative measures, or application of other relevant policies will be taken, as appropriate;
• For more information on the process, administrative measures, and possible outcomes, refer to sections 3.8, 3.9, 3.10 of the Disruptions of All Forms of Racism Policy.