Student/Parent Handbook - Ysleta Independent School District

STATEMENT OF NON-DISCRIMINATION AND FREEDOM FROM HARASSMENTIt is the policy of YISD to support and implement all state and federal statutes pertaining to non-discrimination.Accordingly, no person shall, on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, disability, or any other basisprohibited by law, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under anyeducational program or activity. Prohibited sex discrimination includes sexual harassment, sexual violence, datingviolence, and gender-based harassment. Students are protected from discrimination and harassment in connection withall the academic, educational, extracurricular, athletic, and other programs of the school, whether those programs takeplace in a school’s facilities, on a school bus, or on a school field trip. The district also prohibits retaliation against astudent who in good faith makes a report, serves as a witness, or otherwise participates in an investigation. See PolicyFFH (LOCAL).The above non-discrimination statement is intended to reflect compliance with the Texas Education Code, Title VI of the1964 Civil Rights Act, Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, Equal Opportunity Employment Act of 1972, Equal Pay Act of1963, Title IX of the 1972 Education Amendments Act, Civil Action 5281, and Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act,Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, 1992, and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008.See section on Student Conduct for more information and examples of prohibited conduct.PROCEDURES FOR RESOLVING DISCRIMINATION AND HARASSMENT COMPLAINTSUNDER TITLE IX, SECTION 504, AND TITLE IITitle IX of the 1972 Education Amendments Act pertains to nondiscrimination on the basis of sex. Section 504 of the1973 Rehabilitation Act and Title II Americans with Disabilities Act, 1992 pertain to nondiscrimination on the basis ofdisability. Each of these federal regulations requires the establishment of grievance procedures providing for prompt andequitable resolution of student complaints.For information about your rights or complaint procedures, or to make a report or complaint, contact the district’sCoordinator, as designated below, at 9600 Sims Drive, El Paso, Texas 79925, (915) 434-0000. For Title IX sexual harassment, gender-based harassment, or dating violence: Mr. Dana DeRouen, ExecutiveDirector, Administrative Serives. For all other Title IX discrimination complaints, or for the person in charge overall for Title IX complaints: Mr.Mike Williams, Director of Athletics. For Section 504 or Title II discrimination complaints: Ms. Angelica Nieto, Executive Director, Special Education.See section on Student Conduct for more information on reporting and investigation.Filing a Complaint with the Office of Civil Rights A student/ parent is not required by law to use the district grievance procedure before filing a complaint with U.S.Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”). If a complainant uses the district grievance process and also chooses to file the complaint with OCR, the complaintmust be filed with OCR within 60 days after the last act of the district grievance process. Otherwise, by law,complaints of discrimination must ordinarily be filed within 180 days of the last act of discrimination, unless a waiveris granted. A complaint may be filed with the Office of Civil Rights: Regional Director, Office of Civil Rights, Region VI, 1999Bryan Street, Suite 2600, Dallas, Texas 75201. Telephone: (214) 880-2459. Fax: (214) 880-3082 TDD: (214) 880-2456. See www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/complaints-how.html.7