“No person shall be discriminated against in the terms and conditions of employment, personnel practices, or access to and participation in programs, services, and activities with regard to race, color, creed, religion, age, national origin, disability, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. In addition, discrimination in employment based on familial status or membership or activity in a local commission as defined by law is prohibited."
In order to achieve our mission of creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for all of our staff, students, and visitors, Metro State University strictly prohibits protected class‐based discrimination and harassment. There are several Minnesota State system and Metropolitan State University policies and procedures that prohibit discrimination and harassment. Those policies and procedures are informed by several state and federal laws including but not limited to, Title IX, Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA), Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), Campus Sexual Violence Elimination Act (SaVE), the Clery Act, Minnesota Human Rights, and the Minnesota Sexual Harassment and Violence Policy.
The Office of Equity and Inclusion serves as neutral investigators for reports and complaints involving protected class‐based discrimination and harassment and sexual violence. As neutrals, we are fact and information gatherers who make determinations about whether to conduct a formal investigation, resolve the matter through our informal resolution process, or refer the matter to the appropriate process and/or resource on campus. Regardless of whether an individual chooses to file a complaint and/or whether we proceed under our process, we are available to support our staff and students by assisting them in connecting with appropriate resources on and off‐campus. In addition to serving as neutral investigators our office also houses the Title IX Coordinator. As the university’s Title IX Coordinator, we are responsible for ensuring the university’s compliance with Title IX, and part of that role is working with pregnant and parenting students to provide them academic accommodations.