Report Hate. Get Support.

Washington communities, just like others across the United States, are affected by bias crimes and incidents. According to the FBI’s hate crimes statistics, Washington has been in the top 5 states with the most reported since 2018. These incidents have a devastating and long-lasting impact on individuals, families, and communities, making people feel unwelcome or unsafe where they live. Hate crimes and bias incidents are underreported, and data about their prevalence is limited. We want Washington to be welcoming, inclusive, and safe for all.

The Hate Crimes & Bias Incidents Hotline is where you can report hate and get support. The line is to support victims and help track hate crimes and bias incidents. We want to:

• Support people who have witnessed or been the target of hate crimes and bias incidents.
• Refer people to services that can help. We are not the police, and we do not report to the police without your permission.
• Inform Washington’s legislature, governor, law enforcement, and community about the extent of the problem.

The hotline is a non-emergency reporting line. If you are experiencing an active emergency or are in immediate danger, please call 911.

A History of Washington’s Hate Crimes and Bias Incident Laws

Have you experienced or witnessed a hate crime or bias incident?

In Washington, a person is guilty of a hate crime if they maliciously and intentionally commit one of the criminal acts listed below in whole or in part because of their perception of another person's race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, or mental, physical, or sensory disability.

• Physical injury or assault to another person.
• Physical damage to or destruction of the property of another person.
• Threats to another person or group of people that causes a “reasonable fear” that physical injury or property damage could occur.

Examples include burning a cross, defacing property with hate symbols, or placing a noose on someone’s property.

A bias incident is a hostile expression of animus toward another person based on the other person’s actual or perceived race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, national origin, citizenship or immigration status, sex, honorably discharged veteran or military status, sexual orientation, or the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability.

A bias incident is an incident that does not rise to the level of a crime or criminal act. Examples of bias incidents include, but are not limited to:

• Using insulting language towards someone else based on their perceived characteristics or protected class.
• Creating racist or insulting images or drawings based on someone’s perceived characteristics or protected class.
• Mocking someone with a disability or someone’s cultural norms or practices.