SEXUAL HARASSMENT
A. Policy. All members of the School District, including, but not necessarily limited to, the Board, the Administration, the faculty, the staff, and the students, are expected to conduct themselves at all times so as to provide an atmosphere free from sexual harassment. Any person who engages in sexual harassment while acting as a member of the school community will be in violation of this policy and subject to the procedures outlined below.
B. Definition of Sexual Harassment. Unwelcome sexual advances; requests for sexual favor; or other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature may constitute sexual harassment where;
1. Submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of a person’s employment or educational development; or,
2. Submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment or education decisions affecting such individual; or,
3. Such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work or educational performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working or educational environment.
C. The Grievance Officer. The Superintendent shall be a sexual harassment grievance officer who will be vested with the authority and responsibility of processing all sexual harassment complaints in accordance with the procedure set out below. In the event that the grievance officer becomes a party to a sexual harassment complaint, alternate grievance officer shall be appointed by the Board and shall assume this responsibility.
D. Procedure.
1. Any member of the school community who believes that he or she has been subjected to sexual harassment shall report the incident(s) to the grievance officer.
2. The grievance officer receiving complaints shall attempt to resolve the problem in an informal manner through the following interviewing process:
a. The grievance officer shall confer with the charging party in order to obtain a clear understanding of that party’s statement of the facts.
b. The grievance officer shall then attempt to meet with the charged party in order to obtain his or her response to the complaint.
c. The grievance officer may hold as many meetings with the parties as is necessary to gather facts.
d. On the basis of the grievance officer’s perception of the situation, he or she may:
(1) Attempt to resolve the matter informally through conciliation.
(2) Report the incident and transfer the record to the Superintendent or his/her designee, and so notify the parties by certified mail.
3. After reviewing the record made before the grievance officer, the Superintendent or designee may attempt to gather any more evidence necessary to decide he case, and thereafter impose any sanctions deemed appropriate, including a recommendation to the Board of Directors for termination or expulsion.
All matters involving sexual harassment complaints shall remain confidential to the extent possible.
Adopted: October 14, 1985
Reviewed: Feb. 10, 1997
March 12, 2001
December 19, 2005
June 20, 2011
July 11, 2016