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How to use this page.

This page is built to help you answer a simple question: What should I do next?

Some people need immediate safety guidance. Some need a checklist for documenting what happened. Some need help understanding whether a school or workplace issue may involve rights or reporting pathways. Some need emotional support, pastoral care, or someone trustworthy to talk to. Some need a legal referral, not just encouragement.

This page is not legal advice, emergency response, or guaranteed representation. It is a practical starting point.

Immediate next steps.

If something happened recently and you are not sure where to begin, start here.

Documentation checklist.

Good documentation is one of the most practical forms of protection. It can help with internal reporting, school follow-up, workplace review, legal referrals, and SAFE pattern tracking.

What to document

• Date and time
• Location or platform
• Who was involved
• What was said or done
• Whether there were witnesses
• Whether it has happened before
• How you responded
• Any screenshots, emails, posts, messages, audio, video, or documents connected to the issue

What to save

• Emails
• Texts or direct messages
• Social media links and screenshots
• School notices or teacher communications
• Workplace policies, HR communications, or schedule records
• Any public article, clip, or post if the issue involves media or digital misrepresentation

A specific, dated record is easier to act on than a vague memory. It also helps separate a one-time misunderstanding from a pattern that may need a stronger response.

Legal referral pathway.

Some situations do not need a lawyer. Others may benefit from early legal guidance, especially if the issue involves repeated workplace discrimination, denied accommodation, retaliation, serious school-rights concerns, threats, housing issues, or other civil legal problems.

SAFE can help point people toward the next level of help, but SAFE is not itself a law firm and does not guarantee representation.

When a legal referral may be worth considering

• You were denied a workplace religious accommodation
• You faced workplace retaliation after raising a concern
• A school issue appears repeated, serious, or connected to rights violations
• A housing, employment, or public-accommodation issue may involve unlawful discrimination
• You have documentation and need help understanding your options

Where people may start

For many U.S. employment-related religious-discrimination issues, the EEOC is the main federal agency handling charges. In general, a charge must be filed within 180 days, often extended to 300 days if a state or local agency also enforces a similar law.

For civil legal help, the Legal Services Corporation can help people search for an LSC-funded legal aid organization by city or address, and points to LawHelp resources for legal information and forms.

Emotional and pastoral support.

Not every problem is solved by policy, documentation, or legal process. Some situations leave people discouraged, isolated, angry, ashamed, spiritually unsettled, or exhausted. In those moments, emotional and pastoral support matter.

When to seek emotional support

• You feel overwhelmed by the incident or pattern
• You are losing sleep, focus, or emotional stability
• You feel socially isolated or afraid to talk about what happened
• The issue is affecting your marriage, parenting, work, studies, or faith

Support options may include

• A trusted family member or friend
• A bishop, branch president, Relief Society president, elders quorum president, or other trusted local faith leader
• A licensed mental health professional
• The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline if the situation feels like a mental health or emotional crisis

People often wait too long to seek emotional or pastoral support because they think the problem is “not serious enough.” But repeated bias, humiliation, fear, or uncertainty can take a real toll long before a situation becomes dramatic.

Student pathway.

If the issue involves a student, the first practical steps are usually documentation, a trusted adult, and the school’s internal reporting path.

Good first steps for students

• Write down what happened
• Save messages, screenshots, or assignments if relevant
• Tell a parent, guardian, counselor, or other trusted adult
• Report the concern to the appropriate school contact if the issue is repeated, targeted, or severe

In U.S. public elementary and secondary schools, students may pray and engage in religious expression to the same degree they may engage in comparable nonreligious personal expression, while schools may not sponsor religion or coerce students into religious activity.

Workplace pathway.

If the issue involves work, documentation is again the foundation. Save emails, schedule changes, HR communications, and any policies that may relate to the situation. Use internal HR or management channels when appropriate, but also pay attention to filing timelines.

Some claims, such as charges filed with the EEOC, have strict deadlines. If you suspect the issue may rise to unlawful discrimination or retaliation, learning the timeline early matters more than waiting to see how things settle.