The following individuals serve as "Anti-Harassment Compliance Officers" for the District. They are hereinafter referred to as the "Compliance Officers".

The names, titles, and District contact information of these individuals will be published annually in the parent and staff handbooks and/or on the District's web site.

A Compliance Officer will be available during regular school/work hours to discuss concerns related to unlawful harassment, to assist students, other members of the School District community, and third parties who seek support or advice when informing another individual about "unwelcome" conduct, or to intercede informally on behalf of the student.

Any Board employee who directly observes harassment of a student is obligated, in accordance with this policy, to report such observations to one of the Anti-Harassment Compliance Officers within two (2) business days. Thereafter, the Compliance Officer or designee must contact the student, if over age eighteen (18) or the student's parents if under the age eighteen (18), within two (2) business days to advise s/he/them of the Board's intent to investigate the alleged misconduct, including the obligation of the compliance officer or designee to conduct an investigation following all the procedures outlined in the complaint procedures.

The Compliance Officers are assigned to accept complaints of harassment directly from any member of the School District community or a visitor to the District, or to receive complaints that are initially filed with a school building administrator. Upon receipt of a complaint, either directly or through a school building administrator, a Compliance Officer will begin review and investigation or the Compliance Officer will designate a specific individual to conduct such a process. The Compliance Officer will prepare recommendations for the District Administrator or will oversee the preparation of such recommendations by a designee. All members of the School District community must report incidents of harassment that are reported to them to the Compliance Officer as soon as possible, but always within no more than two (2) calendar days of learning of the incident.

Any student who believes that s/he has been subjected to harassment may seek resolution of his/her complaint through the procedures described below. Further, a process for investigating claims of harassment and a process for rendering a decision regarding whether the claim of legally prohibited harassment was substantiated are set forth below.

Due to the sensitivity surrounding complaints of harassment, time lines are flexible for initiating the complaint process; however, individuals should make every effort to file a complaint within thirty (30) days after the conduct occurs while the facts are known and potential witnesses are available. Once the formal complaint process is begun, the investigation will be completed in a timely manner (ordinarily, within fifteen (15) calendar days of the complaint being received).

A student who believes she/he has been subjected to harassment hereinafter referred to as the "complainant", may file a complaint, either orally or in writing with a teacher, principal, or other District employee at the student’s school, the Compliance Officer, District Administrator, or other District employee who works at another school or at the District level. Due to the sensitivity surrounding complaints of unlawful harassment, time lines are flexible for initiating the complaint process; however, individuals should make every effort to file a complaint within thirty (30) days after the conduct occurs while the facts are known and potential witnesses are available. If a complainant informs a teacher, principal, or other District employee at the student’s school, the Compliance Officer, District Administrator, or other District employee, either orally or in writing, about any complaint of harassment, that employee must report such information to the Compliance Officer or designee within two (2) business days.

Throughout the course of the process as described herein, the Compliance Officer should keep the parties informed of the status of the investigation and the decision making process.

All complaints must include the following information to the extent it is available: the identity of the individual believed to have engaged in, or to be actively engaging in, harassment; a detailed description of the facts upon which the complaint is based; and a list of potential witnesses.

If the complainant is unwilling or unable to provide a written statement including the information set forth above, the Compliance Officer shall ask for such details in an oral interview. Thereafter the Compliance Officer will prepare a written summary of the oral interview, and the complainant will be asked to verify the accuracy of the reported charge by signing the document.

Upon receiving a complaint, the Compliance Officer will consider whether any action should be taken in the investigatory phase to protect the complainant from further harassment or retaliation including but not limited to a change of class schedule for the complainant or the alleged harasser, or possibly a change of school for either or both of the parties. In making such a determination, the Compliance Officer should consult the District Administrator prior to any action being taken. The Complainant should be notified of any proposed action prior to such action being taken.

As soon as appropriate in the investigation process, the Compliance Officer will inform the individual alleged to have engaged in the harassing conduct, hereinafter referred to as the "respondent", that a complaint has been received. The respondent will be informed about the nature of the allegations and a copy of these administrative procedures and the Board's anti-harassment policy shall be provided to the respondent at that time. The respondent must also be informed of the opportunity to respond to the complaint. If the respondent is another student, the student may respond to the allegations orally in an interview with the Compliance Officer or in writing within five (5) days.

Within five (5) business days of receiving the complaint, the Compliance Officer or a designee will initiate a formal investigation to determine whether the complainant has been subject to offensive conduct/harassment. A principal will not conduct an investigation unless directed to do so by the Compliance Officer.

Although certain cases may require additional time, the Compliance Officer or a designee will attempt to complete an investigation into the allegations of harassment within fifteen (15) calendar days of receiving the formal complaint. The investigation will include:

At the conclusion of the investigation, the Compliance Officer or the designee shall prepare and deliver a written report to the District Administrator which summarizes the evidence gathered during the investigation and provides recommendations based on the evidence and the definition of harassment as provided in Board policy and State and Federal law as to whether the complainant has been subject to unlawful harassment. In determining if harassment occurred, a preponderance of evidence standard will be used. The Compliance Officer's recommendations must be based upon the totality of the circumstances, including the ages and maturity levels of those involved. The Compliance Officer may consult with the Board Attorney before finalizing the report to the District Administrator.

Absent extenuating circumstances, within ten (10) business days of receiving the report of the Compliance Officer or the designee, the District Administrator must either issue a final decision regarding whether or not the complaint of harassment has been substantiated or request further investigation. A copy of the District Administrator's final decision will be delivered to both the complainant and the respondent.

If the District Administrator requests additional investigation, the District Administrator must specify the additional information that is to be gathered, and such additional investigation must be completed within ten (10) business days. At the conclusion of the additional investigation, the District Administrator must issue a final written decision as described above.

The decision of the District Administrator shall be final. If the complainant feels that the decision does not adequately address the complaint s/he may appeal the decision to the State Superintendent of Public Instruction.

The Board reserves the right to investigate and resolve a complaint or report of harassment regardless of whether the member of the School District community or third party alleging the harassment pursues the complaint. The Board also reserves the right to have the complaint investigation conducted by an external person in accordance with this policy or in such other manner as deemed appropriate by the Board or its designee.

If the evidence suggests that the harassment at issue is a crime or requires mandatory reporting under the Children's Code (Sec. 48.981, Wis. Stat.), the District Administrator shall report the harassment to the appropriate social service and/or law enforcement agency charged with responsibility for handling such investigations and crimes.

The District will make all reasonable efforts to protect the rights of the complainant and the respondent. The District will respect the privacy of the complainant, the respondent, and all witnesses in a manner consistent with the District's legal obligations under State and Federal law. Confidentiality cannot be guaranteed however. All complainants proceeding through the investigation process should be advised that as a result of the investigation, the respondent may become aware of the complainant’s identity.

During the course of an investigation, the Compliance Officer or his/her designee will instruct all members of the School District community and third parties who are interviewed about the importance of maintaining confidentiality. Any individual who is interviewed as part of a harassment investigation is expected not to disclose any information that s/he learns or that s/he provides during the course of the investigation.

All public records created as a part of an investigation of a complaint of harassment will be maintained by the Compliance Officer in accordance with the Board's records retention policy. Any records which are considered student records in accordance with the state or Federal law will be maintained in a manner consistent with the provisions of the law.

The Board shall vigorously enforce its prohibitions against harassment by taking appropriate action reasonably calculated to stop the harassment and prevent further such harassment. While observing the principles of due process, a violation of this policy may result in disciplinary action up to and including the discharge of an employee or the suspension/expulsion of a student. All disciplinary action will be taken in accordance with applicable law. When imposing discipline, the District Administrator shall consider the totality of the circumstances involved in the matter, including the ages and maturity levels of those involved. In those cases where harassment is not substantiated, the Board may consider whether the alleged conduct nevertheless warrants discipline in accordance with other Board policies.

Where the Board becomes aware that a prior remedial action has been taken against a member of the School District community, all subsequent sanctions imposed by the Board and/or District Administrator shall be reasonably calculated to end such conduct, prevent its reoccurrence, and remedy its effects.

Any act of retaliation against a person who has made a report or filed a complaint alleging harassment, or who has participated as a witness in a harassment investigation is prohibited.

State law requires any teacher or school employee who knows or suspects that a child under the age of eighteen (18) is a victim of child abuse or neglect to immediately report that knowledge or suspicion to the Department of Children and Family Services. If, during the course of a harassment investigation, the Compliance Officer or a designee has reason to believe or suspect that the alleged conduct reasonably indicates abuse or neglect of the complainant, a report of such knowledge must be made in accordance with State law and Board policy.

If the Compliance Officer or a designee has reason to believe that the complainant has been the victim of criminal conduct as defined under Florida law, such knowledge should be reported to local law enforcement.

Any reports made to the local child protection service or to local law enforcement shall not terminate the Compliance Officer's or a designee's obligation and responsibility to continue to investigate a complaint of harassment. While the Compliance Officers or a designee may work cooperatively with outside agencies to conduct concurrent investigations, in no event shall the harassment investigation be inhibited by the involvement of outside agencies without good cause after consultation with the District Administrator.

In support of this policy, the Board promotes preventative educational measures to create greater awareness of discriminatory practices. The Board will develop a method of discussing this policy with the School District community. Training on the requirements of non-discrimination and the appropriate responses to issues of harassment will be provided to the School District community on an annual basis, and at such other times as the Board in consultation with the District Administrator determines is necessary or appropriate.

This policy shall be reviewed at least annually for compliance with local, State, and Federal law.

The District shall conspicuously post a notice including this policy against harassment in each school in a place accessible to the School District community and members of the public. This notice shall also include the name, mailing address and telephone number of the Complaint Coordinators, the name, mailing address and telephone number of the State agency responsible for investigating allegations of discrimination in educational opportunities, and the mailing address and telephone number of the United States Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights.

A summary of this policy shall appear in the student handbook and shall be made available upon request of parents, students, and other interested parties.

48.981, Wis. Stats.
118.13, Wis. Stats.
P.I. 9, 41 Wis. Admin. Code
Fourteenth Amendment, U.S. Constitution
20 U.S.C. 1415
20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq., Title IX of Education Amendments Act
20 U.S.C. Section 1701 et seq., Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974
29 U.S.C. 794, Rehabilitation Act of 1973
42 U.S.C. 1983
42 U.S.C. Section  2000 et seq., Civil Rights Act of 1964
42 U.S.C. 2000d et seq.
42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq., The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
34 C.F.R. Sec. 300.600-300.662

Revised 11/13/13
Revised 4/8/15