Bias-related incidents are actions that have harmful effects on individuals or groups based on race, sex (including gender identity/expression), color, religion, ancestry, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, military status, or sexual orientation.

They may not be covered by formal policies and procedures and occur without regard to whether the acts are legal, illegal, intentional, or unintentional. When evaluating a bias-related incident, the Bias Incident Response Team (BIRT) will determine if there are sufficient objective facts present that would lead a reasonable person to conclude that the behavior or actions in question were motivated by bias toward the targeted individual or group.