Nondiscrimination and Civil Rights

The district does not discriminate on any basis listed below and prohibits discrimination and harassment on any basis protected by law, including but not limited to, an individual’s perceived or actual race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, marital status, age, mental or physical disability, pregnancy, familial status, economic status, or veterans’ status, or because of the perceived or actual race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, marital status, age, mental or physical disability, pregnancy, familial status, economic status, or veterans’ status of any other persons with whom the individual associates.

The district prohibits discrimination and harassment in, but not limited to, employment, assignment and promotion of personnel; educational opportunities and services offered students; student assignment to schools and classes; student discipline; location and use of facilities; educational offerings and materials; and accommodating the public at public meetings.

The Board encourages staff to improve human relations within the schools, to respect all individuals and to establish channels through which patrons can communicate their concerns to the administration and the Board.

The superintendent shall appoint individuals at the district to contact on issues concerning the Americans with Disabilities Act and Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act, Title IX of the Education Amendments, and other civil rights or discrimination issues, and notify students, parents, and staff with their names, office addresses, and phone numbers. The district will publish complaint procedures providing for prompt and equitable resolution of complaints from students, employees and the public, and such procedures will be available at the district’s administrative office and available on the home page of the district’s website.

The district prohibits retaliation and discrimination against an individual who has opposed any discrimination act or practice; because that person has filed a charge, testified, assisted or participated in an investigation, proceeding or hearing; and further prohibits anyone from coercing, intimidating, threatening or interfering with an individual for exercising any rights guaranteed under state and federal law.

Any complaint alleging discrimination may be made to any civil rights coordinator and will be processed in accordance with administrative regulation AC-AR- Discrimination Complaint Procedure. Depending on the nature of the complaint, additional requirements may apply.

The district will document and track:

1. All reports of discrimination received by the district and all responses to those reports issued by the district, including any investigations completed and remedies provided; and
2. The training completed by each civil rights coordinator.

Civil Rights Coordinator

The director of special services is the district’s civil rights coordinator.

The civil rights coordinator(s) will:

1. Be knowledgeable of the requirements in OARs 581-021-0038, 581-021-0045, 581-021-0046, and 581-021-0660;
2. Have the independence and authority necessary to carry out the provisions of OAR 581-021-0660;
3. Monitor, coordinate, and oversee district compliance with state and federal laws prohibiting discrimination in education, including ensuring the availability of, and providing to students and staff:
   1. The notice of nondiscrimination required by OAR 581-021-0045; and
   2. The district written complaint process for making reports of discrimination.
4. Oversee and ensure the resolution of district investigations of complaints alleging and substantiating discrimination, including the provision of remedies designed to restore or preserve equal access to an education program or activity;
5. Provide guidance to district staff on civil rights issues in the district;
6. Respond to questions and concerns about civil rights in the district;
7. Coordinate efforts to prevent civil rights violations from occurring in the district; and
8. Satisfy the training requirements in OAR 581-021-0660 (2)-(3)

Discrimination Complaint Procedure

Any person, including students, staff, visitors and third parties, may file a complaint.

Complaints regarding discrimination or harassment, on any basis protected by law, shall be processed in accordance with the following procedures:

Step 1: Complaints may be oral or in writing and may be filed via mail, email, telephone, and in person. Complaints may be submitted to the district Civil Rights Coordinator, Title IX, ADA Title II Coordinator, or our SEL and 504 Coordinator. In addition, complaints may be submitted to a school administrator/supervisor.

The administrator/supervisor shall investigate and determine the action to be taken, if any, and reply in writing, to the complainant within 10 school days of receipt of the complaint.

Step 2: If the complainant wishes to appeal the decision of the administrator/supervisor, the complainant may submit a written appeal to the superintendent or designee within five school days after receipt of the administrator/supervisor’s response to the complaint.

The superintendent or designee shall review the administrator/supervisor’s decision within five school days and may meet with all parties involved. The superintendent or designee will review the merits of the complaint and the administrator/supervisor’s decision. The superintendent or designee will respond in writing to the complainant within 10 school days.

Step 3: If the complainant is not satisfied with the decision of the superintendent or designee, a written appeal may be filed with the Board within five school days of receipt of the superintendent’s or designee’s response to Step 2. The Board may decide to hear or deny the request for appeal at a Board meeting. If the Board decides to hear the appeal, the Board may meet with the concerned parties and their representative at a Board meeting. The Board’s decision will be final and will address each allegation in the complaint and contain reasons for the Board’s decision. A copy of the Board’s final decision shall be sent to the complainant in writing or electronic form within 30 days of receipt of the appeal by the Board.

If the administrator/supervisor is the subject of the complaint, the individual may start at Step 2 and should file a complaint with the superintendent or designee.

If the superintendent is the subject of the complaint, the complaint may start at Step 3 and should be referred to the Board chair. The Board may refer the investigation to a third party.

Complaints against the Board as a whole or against an individual Board member, may start at Step 3 and should be submitted to the Board chair and may be referred to district counsel. Complaints against the Board chair may start at Step 3 and be referred directly to the Board vice chair.

The timelines established in each step of this procedure may be extended upon mutual consent of the district and the complainant in writing, but will not be longer than 30 days from the date of the submission of the complaint at any step. The overall timeline of this complaint procedure may be extended beyond 90 days from the initial filing of the complaint upon written mutual consent of the district and the complainant.

The complainant, if a person who resides in the district, or a parent or guardian of a student who attends school in the district or a student, is not satisfied after exhausting local complaint procedures, the district fails to render a written decision within 30 days of submission of the complaint at any step or fails to resolve the complaint within 90 days of the initial filing of the complaint, may appeal the district’s final decision to the Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction under Oregon Administrative Rules (OAR) 581-002-0001 – 581-002-0023. An appeal must meet the criteria found in OAR 581-002-0005(1)(a).