National Aeronautics and
Space Administration

Office of the Administrator
Washington, DC 20546-0001

As a leader in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
(STEM), NASA endeavors to make our collaborations with our grant recipient
institutions as productive and successful as possible in all facets of our shared
objectives. This means that we seek not only the most innovative and cutting-edge
scientific and technological research from our grant recipients, we also expect
strong efforts to create and sustain welcoming and inclusive educational
environments. We view such efforts not as “something nice to do” if the time can
be spared, or something that human resources or the diversity and equity offices
are responsible for, but rather as an integral and indeed necessary aspect of all
educational program environments.

Let me be perfectly clear: NASA does not tolerate sexual harassment, nor should
any organization seriously committed to workplace equality, diversity and
inclusion. Science is for everyone, and any behavior that demeans or discourages
people from fully participating is unacceptable.

NASA takes very seriously our obligations, both legal and ethical, to make sure
that when we provide Federal dollars to a STEM educational program that the
program is extending equal opportunity to all of its participants. We seek to help
STEM programs nation wide in their efforts to achieve educational environments
in which equality of opportunity and inclusion are not just buzzwords, but are
internalized by all members of the community and institutionalized in fair and
equitable policies and practices. We do so, in part, through program assessments
under civil rights laws, such as Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which
prohibits race, color, and national origin discrimination and harassment among
federal funding recipients, and Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972,
which prohibits educational funding recipients from engaging in sex
discrimination, including sexual harassment and sexual violence. Accordingly,
where a grantee’s compliance is at issue, we work closely with the grant recipient
institution and other stakeholders, such as the Department of Education’s Office
for Civil Rights, to bring that recipient into compliance. No grantee institution that


allows impermissible harassment to go unaddressed can be deemed to be in
compliance with civil rights law.

That being said, we must all remain vigilant about protecting the legal rights of
those who pursue careers in STEM. I urge all of our NASA grantee institutions to
examine closely their current policies and procedures for addressing allegations of
misconduct such as harassment. It is critical for educational institutions to address
these matters as promptly and equitably as possible. Beyond the law, we must
seek to create the kinds of welcoming and supportive program environments in
which all students can flourish.

For grantee institution officials or beneficiaries of NASA grants wishing to learn
more about rights and responsibilities under the law, I would direct your attention
to NASA’s MissionSTEM Web site, accessible at
hitp://missionstem.nasa.gov/index.htm!. MissionSTEM is designed as a civil
rights technical assistance tool for STEM programs. It provides a wealth of written
information and visual material on civil rights requirements, as well as promising
practices for achieving greater diversity and creating more inclusive STEM
program environments. I urge your institutions to make use of this powerful tool at
your disposal. For those who wish to leave a comment or ask a question at
MissionSTEM, they may do so at http://missionstem.nasa.gov/eomments-
questions.html.

We must lead the way by refusing to be silent in the face of conduct that is not
only illegal but destroys the very fabric of our STEM community. I believe we can
grow stronger as a community by arming ourselves with knowledge about the
kinds of behavior that are unacceptable and won’t be tolerated in our STEM
workplaces and educational environments.

fibers

Charles F. Bolden, Jr.