Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education Title Ix topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Rowan County Schools reviews Title IX, harassment, reporting and retaliation policies
Summary
District staff reviewed federal and district rules on harassment and discrimination, explained staff duty to report and confidentiality protections, and provided a Central Office contact for non-Title IX reports.
Rowan County Schools reviewed federal and district policies on harassment, discrimination and Title IX at an internal meeting, emphasizing staff members’ duty to report suspected incidents, confidentiality for complainants and prohibitions on retaliation.
A district staff member said that “discrimination or harassment is unlawful behavior based on race, color, national origin, age, religion, [sexual orientation], gender identity, or ability that is sufficiently severe, pervasive, or objectively offensive that it adversely affects a student’s education or creates a hostile or abusive educational environment.” The presenter cited the district’s board policies and Title IX as governing authorities.
The presenter listed examples the district treats as harassment or discrimination: nicknames, slurs, stories, jokes or written materials that are lewd, vulgar or profane when related to a protected category; implied or overt threats of physical violence or acts of aggression; attempts to involve students with disabilities in antisocial, dangerous or criminal activity where the student cannot fully comprehend the activity because of the disability; and destroying or damaging an individual’s property based on a protected category.
The district’s guidance states that all staff members have a duty to report suspected harassment or discrimination. The presenter said the identity of a person who files a complaint “is to be kept as confidential as much as possible.” The guidance also defined retaliation as actions taken to intimidate, threaten, coerce or discriminate against anyone because they opposed discriminatory practices, filed a complaint, testified, assisted or participated in an investigation or proceeding; this definition includes bystanders who intervened to stop discrimination or harassment.
The presenter said action generally is deemed retaliatory if it would deter a reasonable person in the same circumstances from opposing discriminatory practices, and noted that it is not retaliation to punish a person for making a false claim that lacks any basis, but recommended consulting legal counsel before imposing discipline.
For reporting discrimination or harassment other than Title IX harassment, the presenter announced a Central Office contact: Claudia Gobbi (contact as announced) at claudia.gobbi@rowan.kyschools.us or by phone at (606) 784-8928. The presenter said the district “will take any and all appropriate actions to stop the discrimination or harassment, remedy the effects, and prevent reoccurrence.”
The district also summarized Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972, noting that no person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.
