A bias incident is any act which targets a person, groups of people, or property (public or private) because of a person’s actual or perceived race, color, religion, gender, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, or ethnicity.

In New Jersey, a bias crime is known as the crime of bias intimidation.  A bias crime occurs when an offender commits a specific “predicate offense” with a purpose to intimidate a member of a protected class or with knowledge that the conduct would cause intimidation against a member of a protected class.

The New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (LAD) prohibits discrimination and bias-based harassment based on a number of protected classes in employment, housing, and places of public accommodation.  Under the LAD, victims may be entitled to civil remedies.