Waunakee DEI subcommittee advances revised harassment, nondiscrimination policies to policy committee

Waunakee Community School District DEI subcommittee members voted to advance revisions to the district's student nondiscrimination and harassment policies (Policy 411, Rule 4-11 and Policy 411.1) to the policy committee for further consideration and eventual board review.

The revisions, presented to the subcommittee by district leadership and staff, were written to embed protections against hate speech and discrimination into the broader harassment policy, align with recent federal Title IX guidance, and clarify reporting and response processes for students, families and staff.

Gina Pagel, a district elementary teacher, spoke during the single public comment and said she supported the updated harassment policy while urging better public communication about the revision process. "I hope to gain some more understanding about the changes that I may or may not have noticed, tonight," Pagel said, and asked that the district provide clearer redlines and a brief, user-friendly summary of key changes.

The district's superintendent told the committee the policies were developed following January listening sessions in which students and families reported…