Board adopts revised harassment and nondiscrimination policies to include electronic conduct and updated protected classes

The Tacoma School District Board of Directors adopted revised policies on harassment, nondiscrimination and protections for students and staff following a second reading.

Tiffany Davis Brantley, the district civil rights coordinator, said the revisions were shaped by community feedback and work with the equity policy review team. She described several substantive updates: clarifying that electronic conduct may form the basis of discrimination complaints; adding purpose statements to connect policy language to district values; and explicitly referencing Washington’s updated protected classes to ensure compliance.

The board adopted the following policies at second reading: policy 3207 (prohibition of harassment, intimidation and bullying), policy 3210 (nondiscrimination of students), policy 3215 (harassment of students prohibited), and policy 5266 (harassment of district staff prohibited). The civil rights coordinator recommended adoption on behalf of the administration and each motion was moved, seconded and approved.

Why it matters: The changes clarify how the district will treat online or electronic conduct and align the policies with state‑level protected classes, which affects how complaints and investigations will be handled across schools and worksites.

Ending: The board approved the revised policies and will proceed with implementation and public communication as guided by the civil rights coordinator and equity review team.