• Stephanie Johnson
    Director of Student Support Services

    Robert Nelson
    Coordinator of Equity, Diversity, and Support Systems

    Title IX Coordinator

    District Coordinator for Nondiscrimination

    Equity Compliance Officer

  • Nondiscrimination/Harassment of Students

    The District desires to provide a safe school environment that allows all students equal access and opportunities in the District's academic, extracurricular, and other educational support programs, services, and activities. The Board prohibits, at any District school or school activity, unlawful discrimination, including discriminatory harassment, intimidation, and bullying, targeted at any student by anyone, based on the student's actual or perceived race, color, ancestry, national origin, nationality, ethnicity, ethnic group identification, immigration status, age, religion, marital or parental status, physical or mental disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or gender expression or association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics.

    Prohibited harassment includes physical, verbal, nonverbal, or written conduct based on one of the categories listed above that is so severe and pervasive that it affects a student's ability to participate in or benefit from an educational program or activity, creates an intimidating, threatening, hostile, or offensive educational environment, has the purpose or effect of substantially or unreasonably interfering with a student's academic performance, or otherwise adversely affects the student's educational opportunities. School staff and volunteers shall carefully guard against segregation, bias, and stereotyping in the delivery of services, including, but not limited to, instruction, guidance, and supervision.

    Harassing conduct may take many forms; including, but not limited to, verbal acts and name-calling, graphic and written statements–which may include use of electronic technology such as cell phones or the Internet–or other conduct that may be physically threatening, harmful, or humiliating. Harassment does not have to include intent to harm, or be directed at a specific target, or involve repeated incidents. Harassment creates a hostile environment when the conduct is sufficiently severe, pervasive, or persistent so as to interfere with or limit a student's ability to participate in or benefit from the services, activities, or opportunities offered by a school. When such harassment is based on race, color, national origin, sex, or disability, it violates the civil rights laws that the Office of Civil Rights enforces. (Title VI, Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Title IX Education Amendment Act of 1972, BP 5145.3)

    Harassment and other discrimination on the basis of sex include, but are not limited to, the following practices:

         1.     Exclusion of a person or persons from participation in, denial of the benefits of, or subjection to harassment or other discrimination in, any academic, extracurricular, research, occupational training, or other program or activity. 
         2.     Provision of different amounts or types of student financial aid, limitation of eligibility for student financial aid, or the application of different criteria to applicants for student financial aid or for participation in the provision of student financial aid by others. 
         3.     Exclusion from participation in, or denial of equivalent opportunity in, athletic programs.  Equivalent means equal or equal in effect. 
         4.     Harassment or other discrimination among persons, including, but not limited to, students and nonstudents, or academic and nonacademic personnel, in employment and the conditions thereof, except as it relates to a bona fide occupational qualification. 
         5.     The application of any rule concerning the actual or potential parental, family, or marital status of a person, or the exclusion of any person from any program or activity or employment because of pregnancy or related conditions. 

    (EC 230)

    Discrimination may also include retaliation towards students and their parents/guardians for engaging in a "protected activity." Such "protected activities" include complaining of or reporting discrimination, participating in an investigation of such a complaint, and advocating for the civil rights of a student regardless of whether the complaint relates to the complaining person or someone else. The Board prohibits retaliation of any student by any employee, student or other person in the District. The Board assures that lack of English language skills will not be a barrier to admission or participation in District programs. (Title VI, Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Title IX Education Amendment Act of 1972, BP 5145.3)

    All school personnel who witness an act of discrimination, harassment, intimidation, or bullying must take immediate steps to intervene when it is safe to do so. Students who engage in discrimination, including harassment and retaliation in violation of law, Board Policy, or Administrative Regulation, shall be subject to discipline up to and including counseling, suspension, and/or expulsion. Any employee who permits or engages in harassment, retaliation, or other prohibited discrimination shall be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal.

    This policy shall apply to all acts related to school activity or to school attendance occurring within a district school, and to acts which occur off campus or outside of school-related or school-sponsored activities but which may have an impact or create a hostile environment at school.

    Any student who feels that he/she has been subjected to discrimination including harassment and retaliation should immediately contact the coordinator, principal, or any other staff member. Any student or school employee, who observes an incident of discrimination, including harassment and retaliation, should report the incident to the coordinator or principal, whether or not the victim files a complaint. Upon receiving a complaint of discrimination including harassment and retaliation, the coordinator shall immediately investigate the complaint in accordance with Site-Level Grievance Procedures specified in AR 5145.7 – Sexual Harassment.