June 15, 2020
Dear UTRGV Family:
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday that Title VII of the Civil Right Act of 1964, which bars employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin or sex, also protects gay, lesbian and transgender workers from workplace discrimination.
While UTRGV policy already protected gay, lesbian, and transgender workers from discrimination, the Court’s opinion emphasizes that this protection is now a matter of federal law. For UTRGV, the opinion supports our strong commitment to promoting access, diversity and inclusion to ensure that ALL members of our campus community have opportunities to succeed. Remember, we are a diverse university family, and each student, staff and faculty are important members of our UTRGV community. We should strive to live and express our unity and diversity every day in our interactions with each other.
Lastly, and I can’t stress this enough, we are all responsible for living and expressing our unity and diversity every day in our interactions with each other. If you ever experience discrimination, please communicate directly with your faculty and/or supervisors about your specific situation. If you see your classmates or colleagues being the target of discrimination, speak up for them and report it. UTRGV has several other dedicated resources available to help support you:
For students:
- Confidential support for personal issues or concerns is available through the Counseling Center and Office for Victim Advocacy & Violence Prevention;
- To report discrimination, contact the Office of Institutional Equity & Diversity;
- For comprehensive student support services, contact the Student Life and Dean of Students office or the Center for Diversity and Inclusion.
For faculty and staff:
- Confidential support for personal issues or concerns is available through Human Resources in cooperation with the UT Employee Assistance Program, the Office of the Faculty Ombuds, and the Office for Victim Advocacy & Violence Prevention;
- To report discrimination, contact the Office of Institutional Equity & Diversity.
Sincerely,
Guy Bailey
President