Online Targeting Resources for Faculty

After immediately contacting your chair and/or associate dean, consider reaching out to trusted colleagues and friends for a support network.  

Consider disengaging from the harassment by asking a friend to monitor personal emails, social media, voice messages, etc. on your behalf. You can create a filter for incoming emails so that you do not have to view them (see below for details). 

Email filters can be used to redirect harassing or threatening messages. This allows you to avoid seeing these messages while preserving them for potential investigation. 

• Outlook users: Set up a dedicated folder to save messages. You can then add one or more rules that move messages to that folder automatically based on subject, sender, keywords, or other criteria. 
• Gmail users: create a rule to send messages to a new folder in Gmail. 

The UVA Help Desk is available 24/7 to provide support with these processes. 

Many social media platforms allow users to report inappropriate content and to request its removal. For example, you can report harassment or bullying on Instagram, report abusive behavior on X (formerly Twitter), and report abusive content on Facebook. On YouTube, click on the three-dot icon near the bottom-right corner of the video to reveal the “Report” button. For other platforms, searching the user guide for “report” is a good first step for identifying reporting processes. 

• Some personal information and images can be removed from Google search results. Consult Google’s removal policy and processes page. 
• The New York Times Digital Security Education Hub contains a list of resources for “cleaning up your online footprint”. These resources provide steps you can take that may help prevent doxxing and other kinds of online targeting. 
• There are also services that can assist for a cost. 
• Consider temporarily removing your information from the UVA People Search by updating your privacy settings in Workday. This process also removes contact information from the global address list in Outlook, so you may wish to reinstate your contact information at a later date. Contact your department or dean’s office about temporarily removing your contact information from department websites.

De-escalation  

It is generally best not to engage with harassers, who are not looking for constructive debate. In a Pew Research Center poll, 83% of those who refused to engage said that it was an effective strategy in ending the situation. 

• Block harassers in email and personal social media accounts. 
• Many social media platforms allow users to report inappropriate content and to request its removal. For example, you can report harassment or bullying on Instagram, report abusive behavior on X (formerly Twitter), and report abusive content on Facebook. On YouTube, click on the three-dot icon near the bottom-right corner of the video to reveal the “Report” button. For other platforms, searching the user guide for “report” is a good first step for identifying reporting processes. 
• Individuals may be best advised to save all evidence of abuse if it rises to a legally actionable situation. Document what you’re experiencing. Save any relevant voicemails, emails, and text messages, and take screenshots or photos of social media postings that include coercive, intimidating, or harassing content. 
• Temporarily privatize social media accounts. 

 Crafting a Statement  

Most situations defuse quickly. But in cases where the situation gains momentum or builds to such a degree as to threaten the professional reputation of the faculty member, they may choose to issue a public statement or respond to individual inquiries. 

As a form of personal reputation management, sometimes faculty members prepare a brief message explaining their position and circulate it among their departmental and disciplinary colleagues. 

Engaging Directly 

Recommendations usually advise against this, as it tends to inflame the situation. However, some faculty choose to engage directly with online harassers. See PEN America’s suggestions and Pew Research Center’s suggestions. 

The Virginia Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), located in § 2.2-3700 et. seq. of the Code of Virginia, permits citizens of the Commonwealth and representatives of the media access to the public records of public bodies, public officials and public employees, subject to the statutory exemptions of FOIA.

Typically, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests are directed to the Office of the University Counsel; however, requests may be sent directly to a faculty or staff member at the University. Requests received by faculty or staff are subject to the same rights, responsibilities and time limits under FOIA. 

If you receive a FOIA request, follow the instructions for employees on the Office of University Counsel website. Please forward the request immediately to the University Counsel FOIA office (foia@virginia.edu). That allows Counsel to verify the eligibility of requestors and ensure that we're providing consistent responses. The FOIA office will determine whether any exemptions apply. They will also ask you to estimate the time it will take to respond to the request, since this will help to determine whether the person making the request will need to pay a fee.  

If the request seeks email, University Counsel will work with ITS to perform those searches on the back end through IT/Records Management. This removes the burden on individuals who would otherwise have to self-produce those emails and ensures we are applying a consistent methodology across all FOIA cases.   

In almost all FOIA cases, any and all relevant stakeholders are given the opportunity to review drafts before any response goes out to the requestor. 

Requestable records can include email, texts, files, etc. including from non-UVA accounts or devices. What matters is not the medium but whether the content relates to UVA work. Communications carried out (minus some exemptions) on UVA email are considered UVA work and can be requested.

• UVA Statement on Free Expression and Free Inquiry 
• Faculty Handbook: 3.1 Academic Freedom 
• Provost’s Remarks on Free Expression and Academic Freedom 

“The University administration stands ready to assist you to do everything we can to ensure our faculty’s safety and ability to pursue their teaching and scholarship, free of harassment, and consistent with our parallel commitments as a public university to the protections of free speech—including constitutionally-protected hateful speech—on which an open, free, and contentious democracy depends.” 

“The University is committed to protecting the academic freedom of our faculty to pursue research and teach courses on sensitive and controversial topics and to follow the evidence and truth wherever they lead, according to the standards of your disciplines, across all your areas of expertise.” 

As a public university, we are bound by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and each of us — faculty, staff, student — is protected by the First Amendment. It is important to note that the First Amendment affords wide latitude for speech, including speech that some would see as offensive, hateful, or harassing. Frequently asked questions related to the freedom of speech, academic freedom, the rights of student groups and controversial speakers, and our commitment to community safety are found on the University’s free speech website. 

A lawyer can help you explore your legal options by explaining risks, costs, and likely outcomes of a potential legal claim. The Virginia State Bar's Virginia Lawyer Referral Service or Virginia Legal Aid provide lists of private attorneys. The UVA Office of General Counsel does not provide counsel or representation to individual faculty, staff, administrators or students in matters outside the scope of University business. 

Student Legal Services could be an option for students seeking legal information or resources.

• Contact the Faculty and Employee Assistance Program for counseling and other services. 
• Access after-hours safe transportation options: UTS OnDemand and Safe Walk (refer to the program websites for schedule information). 
• Download the UVA Ready mobile safety app, which facilitates virtual escorts and has other safety features. 

• Only the instructor, and anyone to whom the instructor explicitly grants permission, may record a class session or reproduce, exchange, or distribute course materials created by that instructor in accordance with UVA policy PROV-005 Dissemination and Recording of Course Materials and Activities. 
• If your material has been uploaded to a third-party website, you can send a copyright takedown notice (17 USC 512). 
• Sample syllabus statements and other guidance for implementing Policy PROV-005 can be found here. 

To report an incident in our community related to Bias and Discrimination/Harassment, Sexual and Gender-Based Harassment and Violence, Hazing, Clery Act Compliance (by CSAs), Interference with Speech Rights, Youth Protection, and Preventing & Addressing Threats or Acts of Violence, use the Just Report It page.