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When a staff member claims that he or she is experiencing discrimination on the job, the situation has to be handled immediately and with great care. The first step, according to Richard Lapchick, Professor at the University of Central Florida’s College of Business Administration and Founder and Director Emeritus of Northeastern University’s Center for the Study of Sport in Society, is to have systems in place that encourage employees to report such problems.

“It’s very difficult for an employee to come forward, because no one wants to be labeled as a complainer,” Lapchick says. “Every athletic department should have a confidential system in place for reporting and employees should be made aware that there will be no retaliation if they report discrimination.”

Immediate action is critical. “If an employee says they are being discriminated against, the athletic director has to respond immediately,” says Rick Villarreal, Athletic Director at North Texas University.

Gene Smith, Athletic Director at the Ohio State University, says his first step is to have an in-depth conversation with the employee. “I ask a lot of questions and listen very carefully,” he says. “I ask how the situation first started and exactly what has happened so I can truly understand. I ask for concrete examples of the discriminatory behavior and I write them down.”

Next, Smith asks the employee to directly confront the person they believe is discriminating against them if they feel they can do so. “This is a very hard thing to do, but I believe it’s the right way to handle it,” he says. “If they are willing to do it, I’ll help them prepare. I tell them, ‘Don’t go tell the person you think they’re discriminating against you because you’re a minority. Go to them with specific examples of what they said or did that offended you, was demeaning, or held you back in your job.’”

Cinnamon Sheffield, Associate Athletic Director for Student Services and Senior Woman Administrator at North Texas University, agrees that confronting discrimination directly is the best route. “I have had to do this on rare occasions, and I’ve found that what works is to immediately discuss it directly with the person,” she says. “It’s important to do it face to face—e-mail is never a good option in a situation like this.

“I also found it was important to stay calm and professional,” she continues. “If I felt myself getting emotional, I’d catch myself or leave and come back later.”

In a high percentage of cases, Smith has found that the issue is resolved after the two parties discuss it. “So often, it’s a matter of miscommunication and misperception,” he says. “If the problem is not resolved, I’ll sit down with the two parties and discusses the issue.”

Villarreal also encourages direct confrontation. “I tell my staff, if there is a problem, let’s sit down and get it discussed, get it resolved, and move on,” he says. “However, there are times when you need to go further than that. If I got the sense that a situation needed more than a conversation, I would pick up the phone and get help from our diversity and equity office immediately.”

Laura Ulrich is a contributing writer for Athletic Management. She can be reached at: laura@MomentumMedia.com.