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Willington subcommittee recommends adopting model policies for nondiscrimination, records and other legal updates
Summary
The policy subcommittee recommended using model (Shipman) templates to consolidate student and staff nondiscrimination/sexual‑harassment policies, to adopt model student‑records and child‑abuse policies, and to review search‑and‑seizure and social media updates with accompanying administrative regulations before sending to the full board.
The Willington policy subcommittee spent substantial time reviewing several legally sensitive, lengthy model policies and recommended that the district adopt model templates (as a starting point) to ensure compliance with recent law and case updates.
The chair (S1) proposed consolidating separate student nondiscrimination and sexual‑harassment policies into a single Title IX‑aligned policy (model numbered example cited) and doing the same for personnel policies. "Oftentimes when you have something that's discrimination... you also start getting into sexual harassment," the chair said, arguing a single aligned policy improves investigative consistency.
Committee members agreed staff should review the associated administrative regulations (the chair noted she is the regulator owner for some regs) and that adopting the model language will allow the district to receive redline updates as laws change. The chair described the model provider (referred to in the discussion as Shipman/Goodwin and the model database) and said the district subscribes to the service for model policies and periodic legal updates.
The subcommittee also recommended adopting model policies and regs for student records and confidentiality (a 48‑page model), the updated child abuse reporting policy (2022 model and training options), social media, and search‑and‑seizure (technical revisions in 2020). For some items the chair asked the committee to consult the attorney on specifics (for example, the Student Privacy Policy Office reference and complaint routing), and for others recommended bringing the model language directly into the district book and using the model reg updates moving forward.
The committee agreed the physical‑examination policy should be removed because its elements are covered by FMLA and are not applicable; the chair said she would put elimination of that policy on the next full‑board agenda.
Next steps: committee members will read model policies and regs, add comments via Google Drive, consult with legal counsel as needed, and return to the subcommittee before items go to the full board.
