The Grievance Officer
The Board shall annually appoint a sexual harassment grievance officer who will be vested with the authority and responsibility of processing all sexual harassment complaints in accordance with the procedure set out below. Employees who believe they have suffered sexual harassment shall report such matters to their building principal, who shall be the investigator and grievance officer for the complaints. In the event that the grievance officer becomes a party to a sexual harassment complaint, an alternate grievance officer, the district superintendent, shall assume this responsibility.
Procedure
1. Any member of the school community who believes that he or she has been subjected to sexual harassment shall report the incident(s) to the Board-appointed grievance officer.
2. The grievance officer receiving complaints shall attempt to resolve the problem in an informal manner through the following interviewing process:
a. The grievance officer shall confer with the charging party in order to obtain a clear understanding of that party's statement of the facts.
b. The grievance officer shall then attempt to meet with the charged party in order to obtain his or her response to the complaint.
c. The grievance officer may hold as many meetings with the parties as is necessary to gather facts.
d. On the basis of the grievance officer's perception of the situation, he or she may:
(1) Attempt to resolve the matter informally through conciliation.
(2) Report the incident and transfer the record to the superintendent or his/her designee, and so notify the parties by certified mail.
3. After reviewing the record made before the grievance officer, the Superintendent or designee may attempt to gather additional evidence necessary to decide the case, and thereafter impose any sanctions deemed appropriate, including a recommendation to the Board for termination or expulsion.
All matters involving sexual harassment complaints shall remain confidential to the extent possible.
Approved: November 18, 2013
Reviewed:
Revised: