The Governing Board recognizes the district's responsibility to comply with state and federal nondiscrimination laws as they apply to the district's nutrition programs. The district shall not deny any individual the benefits or service of any nutrition program or discriminate against him/her on any basis prohibited by law.
(cf. 0410 - Nondiscrimination in District Programs and Activities)
(cf. 3550 - Food Service/Child Nutrition Program)
(cf. 3552 - Summer Meal Program)
(cf. 3553 - Free and Reduced Price Meals)
(cf. 5030 - Student Wellness)
Coordinator
The Board designates the compliance officer(s) specified in AR 1312.3 - Uniform Complaint Procedures as the district's civil rights coordinator to ensure compliance with the laws governing its nutrition programs and to investigate any related complaints.
The responsibilities of the compliance officer/coordinator include, but are not limited to:
1. Providing the name of the civil rights coordinator, Section 504 coordinator, and Title IX coordinator, if different from the civil rights coordinator, to the California Department of Education and other interested parties
(cf. 6164.6 - Identification and Education Under Section 504)
2. Annually providing mandatory civil rights training to all frontline staff who interact with program applicants or participants and to those who supervise frontline staff
The subject matter of such training shall include, but not be limited to, collection and use of data, effective public notification systems, complaint procedures, compliance review techniques, resolution of noncompliance, requirements for reasonable accommodation of persons with disabilities, requirements for language assistance, conflict resolution, and customer service.
3. Establishing admission and enrollment procedures that do not restrict enrollment of students on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, or disability, including preventing staff from incorrectly denying applications and ensuring that such persons have equal access to all programs
(cf. 6159 - Individualized Education Program)
4. Sending a public release announcing the availability of the child nutrition programs and/or changes in the programs to public media and to community and grassroots organizations that interact directly with eligible or potentially eligible participants
5. Communicating the program's nondiscrimination policy and applicable complaint procedures, as provided in the section "Notifications" below
6. Providing appropriate translation services when a significant number of persons in the surrounding population have limited English proficiency
7. Ensuring that every part of a facility is accessible to and usable by persons with disabilities and that participants with disabilities are not excluded from the benefits or services due to inaccessibility of facilities
8. Ensuring that special meals are made available to participants with disabilities who have a medical statement on file documenting that their disability restricts their diet
(cf. 5141.27 - Food Allergies/Special Dietary Needs)
9. Implementing procedures to process and resolve civil rights (discrimination) complaints and program-related complaints, including maintaining a complaint log and working with the appropriate person to resolve any complaint
10. Developing a method, which preferably uses self-identification or self-reporting, to collect racial and ethnic data for potentially eligible populations, applicants, and participants
(cf. 5022 - Students and Family Privacy Rights)
(cf. 5125 - Student Records)
Notifications
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) "And Justice for All" civil rights poster or a substitute poster approved by the USDA's Food and Nutrition Service shall be displayed in areas visible to the district's nutrition program participants, such as food service areas and school offices.
The coordinator shall notify the public, all program applicants, participants, and potentially eligible persons of their program rights and responsibilities and steps necessary for participation. Applicants, participants, and the public also shall be advised of their right to file a complaint, how to file a complaint, the complaint procedures, and that a complaint may be file anonymously or by a third party.
(cf. 5145.6 - Parental Notifications)
In addition, all forms of communication available to the public regarding program availability shall contain, in a prominent location, the following statement:
"In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.
To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: http:// www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:
(1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;
(2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or
(3) email: program.intake@usda.gov.
This institution is an equal opportunity provider."
Forms of communication requiring this nondiscrimination statement include, but are not limited to, web sites, public information releases, publications, and posters, but exclude menus. The nondiscrimination statement need not be included on every page of program information on the district's or school's web site, but the statement or a link to the statement shall be included on the home page of the program information.
A short version of the nondiscrimination statement, stating "This institution is an equal opportunity provider," may be used on pamphlets, brochures, and flyers in the same print size as the rest of the text.
Complaints
Any complaint concerning the district's nutrition programs shall be investigated using the process identified in AR 1312.3 - Uniform Complaint Procedures.
(cf. 1312.3 - Uniform Complaint Procedures)
When a complaint alleging discrimination of the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability is unresolved at the district level, the coordinator shall notify the complainant of the option to contact and/or forward his/her complaint to one of the following agencies:
1. Child Nutrition Program Civil Rights and Program Complaint Coordinator, California Department of Education, Nutrition Services Division, 1430 N Street, Room 4503, Sacramento, CA 95814-2342 or call (916) 323-8531 or (800) 952-5609
2. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, (866) 632-9992, (800) 877-8339 (Federal Relay Service - English), (800) 845-6136 (Federal Relay Service - Spanish), fax (202) 690-7442, or email program.intake.usda.gov.
Legal Reference:
EDUCATION CODE
200-262.4 Prohibition of discrimination
48985 Notices to parents in language other than English
49490-49590 Child nutrition programs
PENAL CODE
422.6 Interference with constitutional right or privilege
CODE OF REGULATIONS, TITLE 5
3080 Application of section
4600-4687 Uniform complaint procedures
4900-4965 Nondiscrimination in elementary and secondary education programs
UNITED STATES CODE, TITLE 20
1400-1482 Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act
1681-1688 Discrimination based on sex or blindness, Title IX
UNITED STATES CODE, TITLE 29
794 Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
UNITED STATES CODE, TITLE 42
2000d-2000d-7 Title VI, Civil Rights Act of 1964
2000e-2000e-17 Title VII, Civil Rights Act of 1964 as amended
2000h-2000h-6 Title IX
12101-12213 Americans with Disabilities Act
CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS, TITLE 7
210.23 National School Lunch Program, district responsibilities
215.7 Special Milk Program, requirements for participation
215.14 Special Milk Program, nondiscrimination
220.7 School Breakfast Program, requirements for participation
225.3 Summer Food Service Program, administration
225.7 Summer Food Service Program, program monitoring
CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS, TITLE 28
35.101-35.190 Americans with Disabilities Act
36.303 Auxiliary aids and services
CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS, TITLE 34
100.1-100.13 Nondiscrimination in federal programs, effectuating Title VI
104.1-104.39 Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
106.1-106.61 Discrimination on the basis of sex, effectuating Title IX, especially:
106.9 Dissemination of policy
Management Resources:
CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION PUBLICATIONS
Civil Rights and Complaint Procedures for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Child Nutrition Programs, rev. November 2015
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, FOOD AND NUTRITION SERVICE PUBLICATIONS
Civil Rights Compliance and Enforcement - Nutrition Programs and Activities, FNS Instruction 113-1, November 2005
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, OFFICE FOR CIVIL RIGHTS PUBLICATIONS
Notice of Non-Discrimination, August 2010
WEB SITES
California Department of Education, Nutrition Services Division: http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/nu
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Services: http://www.fns.usda.gov
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office for Civil Rights: http://www.ascr.usda.gov
U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights: http://www2.ed.gov/ocr
Policy SANTA CLARA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
adopted: April 25, 2013 Santa Clara, California
revised: October 27, 2016