Committee asks administration to tighten employee complaint procedure for supervisor-level grievances

The ASD School Board Governance Committee on Sept. 25 reviewed a proposed administrative regulation (AR 4119/4219/4319) that lays out the process for employees to file complaints against their direct supervisors. The committee asked administrators to clarify permitted filing channels, confidentiality safeguards and the district’s commitment to provide follow-up to complainants.

A staff presenter explained the AR’s intent: when an employee files a complaint against a direct supervisor it would go to that supervisor’s supervisor, and for chief-level complaints, to the superintendent’s office; if employees are unsure who to contact, the presenter said, the EEO office in the superintendent’s office would provide guidance. The presenter said, “Typically, what is always said and what's said in our student handbooks is that if they can't work it out with, it starts at the lowest level.”

Board members and administration discussed best practices that allow employees to report to any supervisor in the chain of command or directly to human resources, rather than strictly following the chain. Committee members also emphasized that complaints sometimes circulate publicly before an investigation, which can unfairly damage reputations. A member of the committee said confidentiality and a clear response timeline are essential; administrators confirmed the district’s planned complaints dashboard will log, route and track responses electronically.

Action and next steps: the committee directed administration to revise the AR to (1) allow reporting to “the supervisor’s supervisor or anybody above the supervisor in the chain of command” or to HR/EEO, (2) specify what follow-up or response the complainant will receive, and (3) reference confidentiality procedures. Administration will return a revised AR to the governance committee next month.