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Children-with-disabilities board adopts three Lakeland School policies, reverts to 2020 Title IX rule
Summary
The Walworth County Children with Disabilities Education Board approved three interrelated Lakeland School policies on April 23, including adopting Title IX language consistent with the February 2020 rule and rescinding the district's February 2024 version.
The Walworth County Children with Disabilities Education Board on April 23 approved a slate of three interrelated Lakeland School policies intended to provide overlapping protections for students: policy 5517 (student anti-harassment), policy 5517.01 (bullying) and policy 2266 (nondiscrimination on the basis of sex). The board also directed rescission of the district’s February 2024 Title IX–based policy and adoption of language consistent with the February 2020 Title IX rule.
Board members and staff framed the three policies as complementary: anti-harassment covers harassment based on protected classes; the Title IX–based policy addresses how schools must handle sex-based harassment and the formal complaint process; and the bullying policy governs repeated intentional harm or intimidation that may not meet harassment thresholds. A staff presenter said the three policies were brought forward together because they reference each other and because adopting them will reduce confusion during investigations.
Board discussion focused on definitional and application questions. Members asked how the 2020 Title IX rule differs from the 2024 rule and what the change means for protections based on gender identity. Staff said the 2020 rule centers enforcement on how schools handle sex-based harassment and does not include broader definitional language found in the 2024 rule; staff emphasized that investigators will consider intent, disability-related context and family and sending-district input when determining whether behavior is discrimination, harassment or bullying. A county staff member noted that the school’s investigation practices and family involvement are important when complaints are reviewed by regulators.
The board voted to approve the slate. Motion to receive and approve: mover Ken Monroe; second Al Stanek. The motion passed on a voice vote with members recorded as saying “aye” and no recorded opposition.
Staff said that, because the adopted policies reference numerous other district policies, the administration will return with additional related policies in coming months to avoid a cascading set of edits.
Board action and immediate effects: The board rescinded the 02/2024 Title IX–based policy and adopted the 02/2020 Title IX–consistent language for policy 2266; the school will remove edit marks and publish clean versions of the three policies once edits are finalized.
