The district designates the following individual(s) as the responsible employee(s) to coordinate its efforts to comply with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, as well as to investigate and resolve sexual harassment complaints under AR 1312.3 - Uniform Complaint Procedures. The Title IX Coordinator(s) may be contacted at:
Assistant Superintendent or Designee
1310 Stroud Avenue
Kingsburg, CA 93631
559-897-2331
msembritzki@kesd.org
(cf. 1312.3 - Uniform Complaint Procedures)
(cf. 5145.71 - Title IX Sexual Harassment Complaint Procedures)
The district shall notify students, parents/guardians, employees, bargaining units, and applicants for employment of the name or title, office address, email address, and telephone number of the district's Title IX Coordinator. (34 CFR 106.8)
Prohibited Conduct
Prohibited sexual harassment includes, but is not limited to, unwelcome sexual advances, unwanted requests for sexual favors, or other unwanted verbal, visual, or physical conduct of a sexual nature made against another person of the same or opposite sex in the educational setting, under any of the following conditions: (Education Code 212.5; 5 CCR 4916)
1. Submission to the conduct is explicitly or implicitly made a term or condition of a student's academic status or progress.
2. Submission to or rejection of the conduct by a student is used as the basis for academic decisions affecting the student.
3. The conduct has the purpose or effect of having a negative impact on the student's academic performance or of creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive educational environment.
4. Submission to or rejection of the conduct by the student is used as the basis for any decision affecting the student regarding benefits and services, honors, programs, or activities available at or through any district program or activity.
(cf. 5131 - Conduct)
(cf. 5131.2 - Bullying)
(cf. 5145.3 - Nondiscrimination/Harassment)
(cf. 6142.1 - Sexual Health and HIV/AIDS Prevention Instruction)
Examples of types of conduct which are prohibited in the district and which may constitute sexual harassment include, but are not limited to:
1. Unwelcome leering, sexual flirtations, or propositions
2. Unwelcome sexual slurs, epithets, threats, verbal abuse, derogatory comments, or sexually degrading descriptions
3. Graphic verbal comments about an individual's body or overly personal conversation
4. Sexual jokes, derogatory posters, notes, stories, cartoons, drawings, pictures, obscene gestures, or computer-generated images of a sexual nature
5. Spreading sexual rumors
6. Teasing or sexual remarks about students enrolled in a predominantly single-sex class
7. Massaging, grabbing, fondling, stroking, or brushing the body
8. Touching an individual's body or clothes in a sexual way
9. Impeding or blocking movements or any physical interference with school activities when directed at an individual on the basis of sex
10. Displaying sexually suggestive objects
11. Sexual assault, sexual battery, or sexual coercion
12. Electronic communications containing comments, words, or images described above
Any prohibited conduct that occurs off campus or outside of school-related or school-sponsored programs or activities will be regarded as sexual harassment in violation of district policy if it has a continuing effect on or creates a hostile school environment for the complainant or victim of the conduct.
Notifications
A copy of the district's sexual harassment policy and regulation shall:
1. Be included in the notifications that are sent to parents/guardians at the beginning of each school year (Education Code 48980; 5 CCR 4917)
(cf. 5145.6 - Parental Notifications)
2. Be displayed in a prominent location in the main administrative building or other area where notices of district rules, regulations, procedures, and standards of conduct are posted (Education Code 231.5)
3. Be summarized on a poster that may be displayed in public areas that are accessible to and frequented by students, including, but not limited to, classrooms, hallways, gymnasiums, auditoriums, and cafeterias. The poster shall display the rules and procedures for reporting a charge of sexual harassment; the name, phone number, and email address of an appropriate school employee to contact to report a charge of sexual harassment; the rights of the reporting student, the complainant, and the respondent; and the responsibilities of the school. (Education Code 231.6)
4. Be posted in a prominent location on the district's web site in a manner that is easily accessible to parents/guardians and students. This shall include the name or title, office address, email address, and telephone number of the employee(s) designated as the district's Title IX Coordinator. (Education Code 234.6; 34 CFR 106.8)
(cf. 1113 - District and School Web Sites)
(cf. 1114 - District-Sponsored Social Media)
5. Be provided as part of any orientation program conducted for new and continuing students at the beginning of each quarter, semester, or summer session (Education Code 231.5)
6. Appear in any school or district publication that sets forth the school's or district's comprehensive rules, regulations, procedures, and standards of conduct (Education Code 231.5)
7. Be included in any handbook provided to students, parents/guardians, employees, or employee organizations (34 CFR 106.8)
Reporting Complaints
A student or parent/guardian who believes that the student has been subjected to sexual harassment by another student, an employee, or a third party or who has witnessed sexual harassment is strongly encouraged to report the incident to a teacher, the principal, the district's Title IX Coordinator, or any other available school employee. Within one school day of receiving such a report, the principal or other school employee shall forward the report to the district's Title IX Coordinator. Any school employee who observes an incident of sexual harassment involving a student shall, within one school day, report the observation to the principal or Title IX Coordinator, regardless of whether the alleged victim files a formal complaint.
(cf. 5141.4 - Child Abuse Prevention and Reporting)
When a report or complaint of sexual harassment involves off-campus conduct, the Title IX Coordinator shall assess whether the conduct may create or contribute to the creation of a hostile school environment. If the Title IX Coordinator determines that a hostile environment may be created, the complaint shall be investigated and resolved in the same manner as if the prohibited conduct occurred at school.
When a verbal or informal report of sexual harassment is submitted, the Title IX Coordinator shall inform the student or parent/guardian of the right to file a formal written complaint in accordance with applicable district complaint procedures.
Complaint Procedures
All complaints of sexual harassment by and against students shall be investigated and resolved in accordance with law and district procedures. The Title IX Coordinator shall review the allegations to determine the applicable procedure for responding to the complaint. All complaints that meet the definition of sexual harassment under Title IX shall be investigated and resolved in accordance with AR 5145.71 - Title IX Sexual Harassment Complaint Procedures. Other sexual harassment complaints shall be investigated and resolved pursuant to AR 1312.3 - Uniform Complaint Procedures.
Regulation KINGSBURG ELEMENTARY CHARTER SCHOOL DISTRICT
approved: July 20, 2009 Kingsburg, California
revised: June 18, 2012
revised: November 16, 2015
revised: December 12, 2016
revised: November 16, 2020