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Discrimination and Harassment on the Basis of Race, Color, and National Origin

Discrimination and harassment on the basis of race, color, or national origin negatively affects a student’s ability to learn and an employee’s ability to work. Providing an educational and workplace environment free from such discrimination and harassment is an important District and School goal. The District and Schools do not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, or national origin in any of its education programs or activities and comply with federal and State non-discrimination laws (Reference Policy 2:270)

Reports and complaints of discrimination or harassment will be confidential to the greatest extent practicable, subject to the District’s duty to investigate and maintain an educational environment that is productive, respectful, and free of unlawful discrimination, including harassment. 

Federal and State Agencies 

If the District fails to take necessary corrective action to stop harassment based on race, color, or national origin, further relief may be available through the Illinois Dept. of Human Rights (IDHR) or the U.S. Dept. of Education's Office for Civil Rights. To contact IDHR, go to: https://dhr.illinois.gov/about-us/contact-idhr.html or call (312) 814-6200 (Chicago) or (217) 785-5100 (Springfield). 

Prevention and Response Program 

The District maintains a prevention and response program to respond to complaints of discrimination based on race, color, and national origin, including harassment, and retaliation. The program includes procedures for responding to complaints which: 

  1. Reduce or remove, to the extent practicable, barriers to reporting discrimination, harassment, and retaliation; 
  2. Permit any person who reports or is the victim of an incident of alleged discrimination, harassment, or retaliation to be accompanied when making a report by a support individual of the person's choice who complies with the District's policies and rules; 
  3. Permit anonymous reporting, except that an anonymous report may not be the sole basis of any disciplinary action; 
  4. Offer remedial interventions or take such disciplinary action as may be appropriate on a case-by-case basis; 
  5. Offer, but do not require or unduly influence, a person who reports or is the victim of an incident of harassment or retaliation the option to resolve allegations directly with the accused; and 
  6. Protects a person who reports or is the victim of an incident of harassment or retaliation from suffering adverse consequences as a result of a report of, investigation of, or a response to the incident. 

Enforcement 

Any District employee who is determined, after an investigation, to have engaged in conduct prohibited by this policy will be subject to remedial action and/or disciplinary action, up to and including discharge. 

Any District student who is determined, after an investigation, to have engaged in conduct prohibited by this policy will be subject to remedial action and/or disciplinary action, including but not limited to, suspension and expulsion, consistent with the student discipline information in this handbook. 

Any third party who is determined, after an investigation, to have engaged in conduct prohibited by this policy will be addressed in accordance with the authority of the Board in the context of the relationship of the third party to the District, e.g., vendor, parent, invitee, etc. Any person making a knowingly false accusation regarding prohibited conduct will likewise be subject to remedial and/or disciplinary action. 

Retaliation Prohibited 

Retaliation against any person for bringing complaints, participating in the complaint process, or otherwise providing information about discrimination or harassment based on race, color, or national origin is prohibited. 

Individuals should report allegations of retaliation to the Building Principal, an administrator, the Nondiscrimination Coordinator, and/or a Complaint Manager.