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Browse SpaceCommunity Relations BP 1312.3(a)
UNIFORM COMPLAINT PROCEDURES
The Governing Board recognizes that the district is primarily responsible for complying with applicable state and federal laws and regulations governing educational programs. The district shall investigate complaints alleging failure to comply with such laws and/or alleging discrimination and shall seek to resolve those complaints in accordance with the district’s uniform complaint procedures. (5 CCR 4620)
The district shall follow uniform complaint procedures when addressing complaints alleging unlawful discrimination against any protected group as identified under Education Code 200 and 220 and Government Code 11135, including actual or perceived sex, sexual orientation, gender, ethnic group identification, race, ancestry, national origin, religion, color, physical or mental disability, or age, or on the basis of a person’s association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics in any district program or activity that receives or benefits from state financial assistance. (5 CCR 4610)
Uniform complaint procedures shall also be used when addressing complaints alleging failure to comply with state and/or federal laws in adult education, consolidated categorical aid programs, migrant education, career technical and technical education and career technical and technical training programs child care and development programs, child nutrition programs, and special education programs.
(cf. 0410 - Nondiscrimination in District Programs and Activities)
(cf. 1312.1 - Complaints Concerning District Employees)
(cf. 1312.2 - Complaints Concerning Instructional Materials)
(cf. 3553 - Free and Reduced Price Meals)
(cf. 4031 - Complaints Concerning Discrimination in Employment)
(cf. 5141.4 - Child Abuse Reporting Procedures)
(cf. 5148 - Child Care and Development)
(cf. 6159 - Individualized Education Program)
(cf. 6171 - Title I Programs)
(cf. 6174 - Education for English Language Learners)
(cf. 6175 - Migrant Education Program)
(cf. 6178 - Vocational Education)
(cf. 6200 - Adult Education)
Complaints related to sufficiency of textbooks or instructional materials, emergency or urgent facilities conditions that pose a threat to the health or safety of students or staff, and teacher vacancies and misassignments shall be investigated pursuant to the district’s Williams Uniform Complaint Procedures.
(cf. 1312.4 – Williams Uniform Complaint Procedures)
The Board encourages the early, informal resolution of complaints at the site level whenever possible.
Community Relations BP 1312.3(b)
UNIFORM COMPLAINT PROCEDURES
The Board acknowledges and respects student and employee rights to privacy. Discrimination complaints shall be investigated in a manner that protects the confidentiality of the parties and the integrity of the process. This may include keeping the identity of the complainant confidential except to the extent necessary to carry out the investigation or proceedings, as determined by the Superintendent or designee on a case-by-case basis.
(cf. 4119.23 /4219.23/4319.23 - Unauthorized Release of Confidential/Privileged Information)
(cf. 5125 - Student Records)
(cf. 9011 - Disclosure of Confidential/Privileged Information)
The Board prohibits retaliation in any form for the participation in complaint procedures, including but not limited to a complainant’s filing of a complaint or the reporting of instances of discrimination. Such participation shall not in any way affect the status, grades, or work assignments of the complainant.
The Board recognizes that a neutral mediator can often suggest an early compromise that is agreeable to all parties in a dispute. In accordance with uniform complaint procedures, whenever all parties to a complaint agree to try resolving their problem through mediation, the Superintendent or designee shall initiate that process. The Superintendent or designee shall ensure that mediation results are consistent with state and federal laws and regulations.
Legal Reference:
EDUCATION CODE
200 - 262.3 Prohibition of discrimination
8200 - 8498 Child care and development programs
8500 - 8538 Adult basic education
18100 - 18179 School libraries
32289 School safety plan, uniform complaint procedure
35186 Alternative uniform complaint procedure
41500-41513 Categorical education block grants
48431.6 Academic progress and counseling review program
49490 - 49590 Child nutrition programs
52160 - 52178 Bilingual education programs
52300 - 52499.6 Career-technical education
52500 - 52616.24 Adult schools
52 8 00 - 52870 School-based coordinated programs
54000 - 54041 Economic impact aid programs
54100 - 54145 Miller-Unruh Basic Reading Act
54400 - 54425 Compensatory education programs
54440 - 54445 Migrant education
54460 - 54529 Compensatory education programs
56000 - 56885 Special education programs
59000 - 59300 Special schools and centers
64000 - 64001 Consolidated application process
Community Relations BP 1312.3(c)
UNIFORM COMPLAINT PROCEDURES
CODE OF REGULATIONS, TITLE 5
3080 Application of section 4600-4671
4600 - 4671 Uniform complaint procedures
4900-4965 Nondiscrimination in elementary and secondary education programs
PENAL CODE
422.6 Interference with constitutional right or privilege
UNITED STATES CODE, TITLE 20
6301-6577 Title I Basic Programs
6601-6777 Title II Preparing and Recruiting High Quality Teachers and Principals
6801-6871 Title III, Language instruction for limited English proficient and immigrant students
7101-7184 Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act, including
7201-7283g Title V Promoting Informed Parental Choice and Innovative Programs
7301-7372 Title VI Rural and Low-Income School Programs
Management Resources:
WEB SITES
CSBA: http://www.csba.org
U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights: http://www.ed.gov/offices/OCR/index.html
ANTELOPE VALLEY UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT
Policy adopted: 9/23/92 Lancaster , California
Policy revised: 3/17/ 99; 9/4/02; 5/7/03; 1/19/05, 3/21/07
Technical revision:
8/7/08
Community Relations
AR 1312.3(a)
UNIFORM COMPLAINT PROCEDURES
Compliance Officers
The Governing Board designates the following compliance officer(s) to receive and investigate complaints and to ensure district compliance with law:
Director of Student Services
Antelope Valley Union High School District Office
548 W. Lancaster Blvd. , Lancaster , California 93534
(661) 729-2321
The Superintendent or designee shall ensure that employees designated to investigate complaints are knowledgeable about the laws and programs for which they are responsible. Such employees may have access to legal counsel as determined by the Superintendent or designee.
(cf. 9124 - Attorney)
Notifications
The Superintendent or designee shall annually provide written notification of the district’s uniform complaint procedures to students, employees, parents/guardians, the district advisory committee, school advisory committees, appropriate private school officials or representatives, and other interested parties. (5 CCR 4622)
The Superintendent or designee shall make available copies of the district’s uniform complaint procedures free of charge. (5 CCR 4622)
The notice shall:
1. Identify the person(s), position(s), or unit(s) responsible for receiving complaints
2. Advise the complainant of any civil law remedies that may be available to him/her under state or federal discrimination laws, if applicable
3. Advise the complainant of the appeal process pursuant to Education Code 262.3, including the complainant’s right to take a complaint directly to the California Department of Education (CDE) or to pursue remedies before civil courts or other public agencies
4. Include statements that:
a. The district is primarily responsible for compliance with state and federal laws and regulations
Community Relations AR 1312.3(b)
UNIFORM COMPLAINT PROCEDURES
b. The complaint review shall be completed within 60 calendar days from the date of receipt of the complaint unless the complainant agrees in writing to an extension of the timeline
c. An unlawful discrimination complaint must be filed not later than six months from the date the alleged discrimination occurs, or six months from the date the complainant first obtains knowledge of the facts of the alleged discrimination
d. The complainant has a right to appeal the district’s decision to the CDE by filing a written appeal with 15 days of receiving the district’ decision
e. The appeal to the CDE must include a cop of the complaint filed with the district and a copy of the district’s decision
(cf. 5145.6 - Parental Notifications)
Procedures
The following procedures shall be used to address all complaints which allege that the district has violated federal or state laws or regulations governing educational programs.
Compliance officers shall maintain a record of each complaint and subsequent related actions, including all information required for compliance with 5 CCR 4631 and 4633.
All parties involved in allegations shall be notified when a complaint is filed, when a complaint meeting or hearing is scheduled and when a decision or ruling is made.
Step 1: Filing of Complaint
Any individual, public agency or organization may file a written complaint of alleged noncompliance by the district.
A complaint alleging unlawful discrimination shall be initiated no later than six months from the date when the alleged discrimination occurred, or six months from the date when the complainant first obtained knowledge of the facts of the alleged discrimination. A complaint may be filed by a person who alleges that he/she personally suffered unlawful discrimination or by a person who believes that an individual or any specific class of individuals has been subjected to unlawful discrimination. (5 CCR 4630)
The complaint shall be presented to the compliance officer who shall maintain a log of complaints received, providing each with a code number and a date stamp.
Community Relations AR 1312.3(c)
UNIFORM COMPLAINT PROCEDURES
If a complainant is unable to put a complaint in writing due to conditions such as illiteracy or other disabilities, district staff shall help him/her to file the complaint. (5 CCR 4600)
Step 2: Mediation
Within three days of receiving the complaint, the compliance officer may informally discuss with the complainant the possibility of using mediation. If the complainant agrees to mediation, the compliance officer shall make all arrangements for this process.
Before initiating the mediation of a discrimination complaint, the compliance officer shall ensure that all parties agree to make the mediator a party to related confidential information.
If the mediation process does not resolve the problem within the parameters of law, the compliance officer shall proceed with his/her investigation of the complaint.
The use of mediation shall not extend the district's timelines for investigating and resolving the complaint unless the complainant agrees in writing to such an extension of time. (5 CCR 4631)
Step 3: Investigation of Complaint
The compliance officer is encouraged to hold an investigative meeting within five days of receiving the complaint or an unsuccessful attempt to mediate the complaint. This meeting shall provide an opportunity for the complainant and/or his/her representative to repeat the complaint orally.
The complainant and/or his/her representative and the district's representatives shall also have an opportunity to present information relevant to the complaint. Parties to the dispute may discuss the complaint and question each other or each other's witnesses. (5 CCR 4631)
A complainant’s refusal to provide the district’s investigator with documents or other evidence related to the allegations in the complaint, or his/her failure or refusal to cooperate in the investigation or his/her engagement in any other obstruction of the investigation, may result in the dismissal of the complaint because of a lack of evidence to support the allegation. (5 CCR 4631)
The district’s refusal to provide the investigator with access to records and/or other information related to the allegation in the complaint, or its failure or refusal to cooperate in the investigation or its engagement in any other obstruction of the investigation, may result in a finding, based on evidence collected, that a violation has occurred and may result in the imposition of a remedy in favor of the complainant. (5 CCR 4631)
Community Relations
AR 1312.3(d)
UNIFORM COMPLAINT PROCEDURES
Step 4: Response
Within 30 days of receiving the complaint, the compliance officer shall prepare and send to the complainant a written report of the district's investigation and decision, as described in Step #5 below. If the complainant is dissatisfied with the compliance officer's decision, he/she may, within five days, file his/her complaint in writing with the Board.
The Board may consider the matter at its next regular Board meeting or at a special Board meeting convened in order to meet the 60-day time limit within which the complaint must be answered. The Board may decide not to hear the complaint, in which case the compliance officer's decision shall be final.
If the Board hears the complaint, the compliance officer shall send the Board's decision to the complainant within 60 days of the district's initially receiving the complaint or within the time period that has been specified in a written agreement with the complainant. (5 CCR 4631)
Step 5: Final Written Decision
The report of the district's decision shall be in writing and sent to the complainant. (5 CCR 4631)
The report of the district's decision shall be written in English and in the language of the complainant whenever feasible or required by law. If it is not feasible to write this report in the complainant's primary language, the district shall arrange a meeting at which a community member will interpret it for the complainant.
This report shall include:
1. The findings of fact based on the evidence gathered
2. The conclusion(s) of the law
3. Disposition of the complaint
4. Rationale for such disposition
5. Corrective actions, if any are warranted
6. Notice of the complainant’s right to appeal the district’s decision within 15 days to the CDE and procedures to be followed for initiating such an appeal
Community Relations
AR 1312.3(e)
UNIFORM COMPLAINT PROCEDURES
7. For discrimination complaints, notice that the complainant must wait until 60 days have elapsed from the filing of an appeal with the CDE before pursuing civil law remedies (Education Code 262.3)
If an employee is disciplined as a result of the complaint, this report shall simply state that effective action was taken and that the employee was informed of district expectations. The report shall not give any further information as to the nature of the disciplinary action.
Appeals to the California Department of Education
If dissatisfied with the district’s decision, the complainant may appeal in writing to the CDE within 15 days of receiving the district’s decision. When appealing to the CDE, the complainant must specify the basis for the appeal of the decision and whether the facts are incorrect and/or the law has been misapplied. The appeal shall be accompanied by a copy of the locally filed complaint and a copy of the district’s decision.
Upon notification by the CDE that the complainant has appealed the district’s decision, the Superintendent or designee shall forward the following documents to the CDE:
1. A copy of the original complaint
2. A copy of the decision
3. A summary of the nature and extent of the investigation conducted by the district, if not covered by the decision
4. A copy of the investigation file, including but not limited to all notes, interviews, and documents submitted by the parties and gathered by the investigator
5. A report of any action taken to resolve the complaint
6. A copy of the district’s complaint procedures
7. Other relevant information requested by the CDE
The California Department of Education may directly intervene in the complaint without waiting for action by the district when one of the conditions listed in 5 CCR 4650 exists. In addition, the California Department of Education may also intervene in those cases where the district has not taken action within 60 calendar days of the date the complaint was filed with the district.
Community Relations
AR 1312.3(f)
UNIFORM COMPLAINT PROCEDURES
Civil Law Remedies
A complainant may pursue available civil law remedies outside of the district's complaint procedures. Complainants may seek assistance from mediation centers or public/private interest attorneys. Civil law remedies that may be imposed by a court include, but are not limited to, injunctions and restraining orders. For discrimination complaints, however, a complainant must wait until 60 days have elapsed from the filing of an appeal with the California Department of Education before pursuing civil law remedies. The moratorium does not apply to injunctive relief and is applicable only if the district has appropriately, and in a timely manner, apprised the complainant of his/her right to file a complaint in accordance with 5 CCR 4622.
ANTELOPE VALLEY UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT
Regulation approved: September 23, 1992 Lancaster , California
Regulation revised: March 17, 1999; September 4, 2002; May 7, 2003, March 21, 2007
Technical revision: August 7, 2008