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District compliance officer outlines broad scope of California UCP and how it works in Barstow Unified
Summary
Rebecca Michaelson, the district Title IX/UCP compliance officer, told the board that California's Uniform Complaint Procedure covers numerous protected characteristics and explained how the district routes complaints and works with personnel and third-party investigators.
Rebecca Michaelson, the district’s Title IX and Uniform Complaint Procedure (UCP) compliance officer, told the Barstow Unified School District Board on Sept. 23 that California’s UCP provides a broad route for students and staff to report discrimination and retaliation.
"I'm Rebecca Michaelson. I'm from Barstow," Michaelson said in introducing herself and her role. She read UCP language into the record, saying the procedure covers complaints alleging "retaliation, discrimination, harassment, intimidation, or bullying on the basis of any protected characteristic," including disability, gender identity, nationality, immigration status and sexual orientation.
Michaelson explained how UCP interacts with federal Title IX processes: when misconduct meets Title IX thresholds the district follows federal procedures, and when it falls short of that threshold the district may pursue remedies under California's UCP and district policy. She described the district’s internal pathways: pupil services and a named personnel contact will handle student-related complaints and the personnel department will handle employee complaints. For third‑party investigations, she said the district uses a contracted investigator ("T and G") to ensure thorough documentation and investigation.
Michaelson emphasized that California’s UCP includes a wider set of protected categories than federal Title IX and noted the policy citation on the record (board policy/administrative regulation AR 1312.3). She also said the district treats allegations involving foster, homeless, military-connected and special education students as within UCP coverage and that a person may be protected even if someone merely perceives them to belong to a protected class.
The board invited questions; Michaelson said she was available for follow-up and that staff such as Dr. Reed, Mr. Gutierrez and Mr. Godfrey would coordinate on specific complaint types. No formal action followed the presentation.
