Federal and Massachusetts Laws bearing on harassment and bias crimes in school settings

(a) Title VI, 42 U.S.C. Sec. 2000 et seq. (prohibition of discrimination based on race, color, or national origin)
(b) Title IX, 20 U.S.C. Sec. 168 et seq. (prohibition of discrimination based on sex or gender)
(c) Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C. Sec. 12134 (prohibition of discrimination based on disability)
(d) G.L. c. 71, See. 37H (student handbooks required to state disciplinary measures applicable to “violations of other students’ civil rights”)
(e) G.L. c. 76, See. 5 (prohibition of discrimination “on account of race, color, sex, religion, national origin or sexual orientation”, in access to “advantages, privileges and courses of study of [local] public school”.)
(f) G.L. c. 15 IC (Fair Education Practices Act, includes prohibition of sexual harassment)
(g) G.L. c. 214, Sec. I B (right of privacy)
(h) G.L. c. 214, Sec. IC (right of freedom from sexual harassment)
(i) G.L. c. 12, See. I I H and I II (prohibition of threats, intimidation. or coercion interfering with someone’s legal rights)
(j) G.L. c. 265, See. 37 (criminal penalties for the use of force or threats to interfere with someone’s legal rights)
(k) G.L. c. 265, Sec. 39 (increasing penalties for assaults, batteries, and property damage motivated by bias on grounds of race, religion, ethnicity, disability, and sexual orientation)
(l) G.L. c. 266, Sec. 127A (criminal penalties for vandalism of school)

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