Tallahassee – Florida A&M University (FAMU) will move toward an updated non-discrimination policy that includes protections for sexual orientation and gender identity or expression.
On March 6, the FAMU Board of Trustees voted in favor of those changes. Now, there’s a 30-day review period before the expanded policy is officially adopted.
“I think it will have a positive effect on our campus and a positive effect on recruitment, retention and safety,” said Dr. William Hudson Jr., vice president for student affairs at the university.
After the 2011 murder of Robert Champion, a gay student at the school, a movement arose for FAMU to adopt an anti-discriminatory and bullying policy. His death was the result of a hazing incident that many speculated was tied to anti-gay bullying.
Nadine Smith, Equality Florida CEO, served as one of the members on the committee that developed and reviewed the policy change and also held meetings with former FAMU President James Ammons and legal counsel after the death of Champion.
“The immediate changes will be establishing inclusive policies, which prohibit discrimination or harassment based on sex—actual or perceived,” said Hudson, who commissioned the LGBTQ Fact Finding Committee in February of 2012. “The goal of this committee was to help create a safe, inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of the FAMU community.”
Hudson said that while this is an important first step, there is still a lot of work to do at the Tallahassee college.
