TITLE IX

It is the policy of the Governing Board to maintain an education and work environment that is free from all forms of unlawful harassment, including sexual harassment.

This commitment applies to all Career Center operations, educational opportunities, programs, and activities. All students, administrators, teachers, staff, and all other school personnel share responsibility for avoiding, discouraging, and reporting any form of unlawful harassment occurring in the Career Center’s educational opportunities, programs, and/or activities.

Complaint/ Grievance Procedure: 

Option One: Informal Complaint Procedure

Address the issue either orally or in writing:  the individual should tell the person who engaged in the allegedly discriminatory/retaliatory conduct that it is inappropriate and must stop. The sooner the better. For support and guidance on taking the first step please contact the Compliance Officer. 

An individual who is uncomfortable or unwilling to inform the person who allegedly engaged in the unlawful conduct of his/her concerns is not prohibited from otherwise filing an informal or a formal complaint and filing a concurrent criminal complaint if s/he desires to do so.

Individuals may make an informal complaint, either orally or in writing to: 

1. 1. To a building administrator 
   2. To the Compliance Officer(s)
   3. and/or to the Executive Director or other Career Center-level employee.

The goal of the informal complaint procedure is to quickly stop inappropriate behavior and facilitate resolution through informal means, if possible. 

All complaints involving a Career Center employee or any other adult member of the Career Center community against a student will be formally investigated, and a concurrent criminal complaint shall be filed.

If the issue is not resolved, parties may request that the informal process be terminated at any time to move to the formal complaint process.

Option Two: Formal Complaint Procedure

An individual who believes that s/he has been subjected to unlawful discrimination/retaliation may file a formal complaint, either orally or in writing.

Individuals may make an formal complaint, either orally or in writing to: 

1. 1. To a building administrator 
   2. To the Compliance Officer(s)
   3. and/or to the Executive Director or other Career Center-level employee.
   4. as well as file a concurrent criminal complaint with the law enforcement agency having jurisdiction

All formal complaints must include the following information to the extent it is available: 

1. 1. the identity of the individual believed to have engaged in, or be engaging in, the discriminatory/retaliatory conduct
   2. a detailed description of the facts upon which the complaint is based
   3. a list of potential witnesses
   4. and the resolution sought by the Complainant

If the Complainant is unwilling or unable to provide a written statement including the information set forth above, the Compliance Officer shall ask for such details in an oral interview. Thereafter, the Compliance Officer will prepare a written summary of the oral interview, and the Complainant will be asked to verify the accuracy of the reported complaint by signing the document.

Within two (2) business days of receiving the complaint, the Compliance Officer, or a designee, will initiate a formal investigation to determine whether the Complainant has been subjected to unlawful discrimination/retaliation.

The Respondent also must be informed of the opportunity to submit a written response to the complaint within five (5) business days.

Although certain cases may require additional time, the Compliance Officer, or a designee, will attempt to complete an investigation into the allegations of discrimination/retaliation within fifteen (15) business days of receiving the formal complaint.

The investigation will include:

1. 1. interview(s) with the Complainant;
   2. interview(s) with the Respondent;
   3. interviews with any other witnesses who reasonably may be expected to have
   4. information relevant to the allegations; and,
   5. Consideration of any documentation or other information presented by the Complainant, Respondent, or other witness that is reasonably believed to be relevant to the allegations.

Title IX Coordinator 

Tiffany Bickerstaff, Marketing Manager 

1999 US 31 South, Greenwood IN, 46143

(317) 888-4401 EXT 262

tbickerstaff@central9.k12.in.us

Link to full Compliant Procedure Policy. “This policy applies to unlawful conduct occurring on school property, or at another location if such conduct affects the Career Center environment.”

Any Career Center employee who directly observes unlawful discrimination/retaliation is obligated, in accordance with this policy, to report such observations to one of the Compliance Officers within two business days.  

Additionally, any Career Center employee who observes an act of unlawful discrimination/retaliation is expected to intervene to stop the misconduct, unless circumstances make such an intervention dangerous, in which case the staff member should immediately notify other Career Center employees and/or local law enforcement officials, as necessary, to stop the misconduct.

1. Employees are encouraged to promptly report incidents of unlawful discrimination. Any administrator, supervisor, or other Career Center-level official who receives such a complaint shall file it with a Compliance Officer within two business days.
2. Employees who believe they have been unlawfully discriminated/retaliated against are entitled to utilize the complaint process/Grievance Procedure. While there are no time limits for initiating complaints under this policy, individuals should make every effort to file a complaint as soon as possible after the conduct occurs while the facts are known and potential witnesses are available.

Pursuant to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, “sexual harassment” is defined as:

Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature, when:

1. Submission to such conduct is made either implicitly or explicitly a term or condition of an individual’s status in a class, educational program, or activity.

2. Submission or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for educational decisions affecting such individual.

3. Such conduct has the purpose or effect of interfering with the individual’s educational performance; of creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive learning environment; or of interfering with one’s ability to participate in or benefit from a class or an educational program or activity.

Sexual harassment may involve the behavior of a person of either gender against a person of the same or opposite gender.

Prohibited acts that constitute sexual harassment may take a variety of forms. Examples of the kinds of conduct that may constitute sexual harassment include, but are not limited to:

1. unwelcome sexual propositions, invitations, solicitations, and flirtations;

2. sexual violence, including physical and/or sexual assault;

3. threats or insinuations that a person’s academic grade, promotion, classroom work or assignments, academic status, participation in athletics or extra-curricular programs or events, or other conditions of education may be adversely affected by not submitting to sexual advances;

4. unwelcome verbal expressions of a sexual nature, including graphic sexual commentaries about a person’s body, dress, appearance, or sexual activities; the unwelcome use of sexually degrading language, jokes or innuendoes; unwelcome suggestive or insulting sounds or whistles; obscene telephone calls;

5. sexually suggestive objects, pictures, videotapes, audio recordings or literature, placed in the educational environment, which may embarrass or offend individuals;

6. unwelcome and inappropriate touching, patting, or pinching; obscene gestures;

7. a pattern of conduct, which can be subtle in nature, that has sexual overtones and is intended to create or has the effect of creating discomfort and/or humiliation to another;

8. remarks speculating about a person’s sexual activities or sexual history, or remarks about one’s own sexual activities or sexual history;

9. inappropriate boundary invasions by a Career Center employee or other adult member of the Career Center community into a student’s personal space and personal life;

10. verbal, nonverbal or physical aggression, intimidation, or hostility based on sex or sex-stereotyping that does not involve conduct of a sexual nature;

11. in the context of employees, consensual sexual relationships where such relationship leads to favoritism of a subordinate employee with whom the superior is sexually involved and where such favoritism adversely affects other employees or otherwise creates a hostile work environment.

Not all behavior with sexual connotations constitutes unlawful sexual harassment. Sex-based or gender-based conduct must be sufficiently severe, pervasive, and persistent such that it adversely affects, limits, or denies an individual’s employment or education or creates a hostile or abusive employment or educational environment.

Link to Full Anti-Harassment Policy

Central Nine Career Center does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age or individuals with disabilities, including limited English proficiency, in its programs or employment policies as required by the Indiana Civil Rights Act (I.C.22-9.1), Title VI and VII (Civil Rights Act of 1964), the Equal Pay act of 1973, Title IX (Educational Amendments), and Section 504 (Rehabilitation Act of 1973). Inquiries regarding compliance with title IX and Section 504 may be directed to the Title IX Coordinator or Director, Central Nine Career Center, 1999 US 31 South, Greenwood, IN 46143, 317-888-4401. 

Link to Full Nondiscrimination and Equal Employment Opportunity Policy 

Link to Full Access to Equal Education Opportunity Policy 

Title IX Coordinator Training link.

Title IX Investigator Training link. 

Title IX Decision Maker Training link.