Non-Discrimination Statement
Tufts University, Office of Equal Opportunity
Revised August 1, 2024
Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination at Tufts University: Tufts is an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer. Tufts is enriched by the many experiences and perspectives each individual member brings to our community. Tufts prohibits discrimination against and harassment of any student, faculty member, staff member, job applicant or applicant for admission or third party2 in admissions, employment or in any of its educational programs or activities based on any protected category. Protected categories include an individual’s real or perceived: race (including traits historically associated with race, such as, hair texture, hair type, hair length and protective hairstyles3); color; national and/or ethnic origin; ancestry and/or shared ancestry; age; religion and/or creed; disability (including record of disability); sex (including sex stereotypes and sex characteristics); gender, gender identity and/or expression (including a transgender identity), sexual orientation; pregnancy and related conditions4; parental, family and marital status; military or veteran status; genetic information; the intersection of these aforementioned identities and any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state or local law.5
Tufts also prohibits all types of discrimination and/or harassment based on sex/gender-based protected categories, including sex/gender-based harassment and discrimination. Tufts uses the umbrella term “sexual misconduct” to reflect sex/gender-based harassment which includes sexual harassment, hostile environment harassment, quid pro quo harassment, sexual assault, sexual exploitation, interpersonal/dating/relationship violence, domestic violence and stalking as well as other conduct which may constitute sexual misconduct such as a violation of the Tufts University Relationships with Students Policy, (https://oeo.tufts.edu/policies-procedures/other/)
Any member of the Tufts community has the right to raise concerns or make a complaint regarding discrimination, harassment and/or sexual misconduct under this Statement without fear of retaliation. Tufts University prohibits retaliation for opposing discrimination, harassment and/or sexual misconduct and/or for filing a complaint of discrimination, harassment, sexual misconduct or related retaliation and/or for participation in protected conduct such as involvement in the investigation or processing of such a complaint.
For more information about our policies and processes, please refer to the Tufts University Non-Discrimination Policy on the Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO) website and the two corresponding process documents: Standard Operating Procedures for Discrimination Complaints (STOP-D) and the Sexual Misconduct Adjudication Process involving Students (SMAPS).
Any and all inquiries, concerns and complaints regarding the application of this Statement and related policies may be referred to: Jill Zellmer, MSW, Executive Director of the Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX Coordinator at 617.627.3298 at 196 Boston Avenue, 4th floor, Medford, MA 02155, or at Jill.Zellmer@tufts.edu. Complaints of alleged discrimination, harassment, sexual misconduct and/or related retaliation and/or anonymous complaints may be reported online at Ethicspoint, tufts-oeo.ethicspoint.com, or by phone at 866/384-4277.
Inquiries about the application of Title IX or related complaints may be referred to the Tufts Title IX Coordinator in OEO, the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights (OCR) or both entities. The contact information for OCR Boston Office is 8th Floor, 5 Post Office Square, Boston, MA 02109-3921. Contact information for OCR is 617.289.0111 and OCR.Boston@ed.gov.
1 The Non-Discrimination Policy and Non-Discrimination Statement will be interpreted in compliance with applicable federal, state and local laws including, but not limited to, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), as amended; 2021 Campus Sexual Assault Law (M.G.L. c. 6 § 168E); M.G.L. c. 151B; Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 and Age Discrimination Act of 1975; the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment and Rights Act, Executive Order 11246 and other similar laws which prohibit discrimination, all as amended; the Americans with Disabilities Act, as amended, and Section 503 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (collectively, civil rights laws). Nothing in this Statement or Policy is intended to interfere with the rights under any current collective bargaining agreements.
2 Third parties may include, among others, visitors, patients, community members, vendors, contractors and/or those seeking to participate in or otherwise participating in the educational programs or activities of Tufts.
3 https://malegislature.gov/Laws/SessionLaws/Acts/2022/Chapter117, known as “The CROWN Act.”
4 Additional policies supporting pregnancy or related conditions, lactation, disability and religious accommodation requests can be found on the OEO website and at https://oeo.tufts.edu/policies-procedures/.
5 Certain protected categories include related protections such as the prohibition against discrimination based on natural hairstyles or religious attire, for instance, and may include discrimination based on native language, accent and other related characteristics, among others.