AC-AR Discrimination or Civil Rights Complaint Procedures
Code: AC-AR
Revised/Reviewed: 1/04/07; 5/13/10; 9/09/15; 6/13/18; 8/23/23; 12/18/24; 2/26/25
Discrimination or Civil Rights Complaint Procedure
Any person, including students, staff, visitors and third parties, may file a complaint. Complaints regarding discrimination or harassment, on any basis protected by law, shall be processed in accordance with the following procedures:
Step One
Complaints of sex-based discrimination received by the district, in addition to the procedures outlined below, must follow additional requirements in AC-AR(2) - Sex-Based Discrimination Complaints. Complaints may be oral or in writing and may be filed with the principal or civil rights coordinator. Any staff member that receives an oral or written complaint shall report the complaint to the principal. If a complaint is filed with the civil rights coordinator, the civil rights coordinator will forward it to the principal. If a complaint is filed with the principal, the principal will notify the civil rights coordinator of the complaint. The civil rights coordinator will oversee the investigation conducted by the principal and ensure the investigation is resolved. The principal shall ensure that any required notices are provided.1 The principal shall investigate and determine action to be taken, if any, and reply in writing to the complainant within 10 school days of receipt of the complaint.
Step Two
If the complainant wishes to appeal the decision of the principal, the complainant may submit a written appeal to the superintendent or designee within five school days after receipt of the principal’s response to the complaint. The superintendent or designee shall review the principal’s decision and may meet with all parties involved. The superintendent or designee will review the merits of the complaint and the principal’s decision. The superintendent or designee will respond in writing to the complainant within 10 school days.
Step Three
If the complainant is not satisfied with the decision of the superintendent or designee, a written appeal may be filed with the Board within five school days of receipt of the superintendent’s or designee’s response to Step 2. The Board may decide to hear or deny the request for appeal at a Board meeting. If the Board decides to hear the appeal, the Board may meet with the concerned parties and their representative at a Board meeting. The Board’s decision will be final and will address each allegation in the complaint and contain reasons for the Board’s decision. A copy of the Board’s final decision shall be sent to the complainant in writing or electronic form within 30 days of receipt of the appeal by the Board.
If the principal is the subject of the complaint, the individual may start at Step 2 and should file a complaint with the superintendent or designee. The superintendent will notify the civil rights coordinator.
If the superintendent is the subject of the complaint, the complaint may start at Step 3 and should be referred to the Board chair. The Board may refer the investigation to a third party. The Board chair will direct notification to the civil rights coordinator. Complaints against the Board as a whole or against an individual Board member, may start at Step 3 and should be submitted to the Board chair and may be referred to district counsel. The Board chair will direct notification to the civil rights coordinator.
Complaints against the Board chair may start at Step 3 and be referred directly to the Board vice chair. The Board vice chair will direct notification to the civil rights coordinator.
All complaints, including those starting at Step 2 or later, will meet all legal requirements. The civil rights coordinator will oversee these requirements.
The timelines established in each step of this procedure may be extended by mutual agreement between the district and complainant. The complainant may appeal the district’s final decision to the Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction under Oregon Administrative Rule (OAR) 581-075-0001 - 581-075-0045 (the rules are amended by OAR 581-075-0901 until April 30, 2025) if: the complainant resides in the district, is the parent/guardian of a student who attends school in the district, or is a student; AND 1) the complainant has exhausted local complaint procedures; 2) the district failed to render a written decision within 30 days of submission of the complaint at any step (unless the district and complainant have agreed in writing to a different time period for that step); or 3) the district failed to resolve the complaint within 90 days of the initial filing of the complaint.
