6.45 Sexual Harassment and Teen Dating Violence Prohibited

Harassment Prohibited

No person, including a school or school district employee or agent, or student, shall harass, intimidate, or bully a student on the basis of actual or perceived race; color; national origin; military status; unfavorable discharge status from military service; sex; sexual orientation; gender identity1; gender-related identity or expression; ancestry; age; religion; physical or mental disability; order of protection status; status of being homeless; actual or potential marital or parental status, including pregnancy; physical appearance; socioeconomic status; academic status; association with a person or group with one or more of the aforementioned actual or perceived characteristics; or any other distinguishing characteristic. The District will not tolerate harassing, intimidating conduct, or bullying whether verbal, physical, sexual, or visual, that affects the tangible benefits of education, that unreasonably interferes with a student’s educational performance, or that creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive educational environment. Examples of prohibited conduct include name-calling, using derogatory slurs, stalking, sexual violence, causing psychological harm, threatening or causing physical harm, threatened or actual destruction of property, or wearing or possessing items depicting or implying hatred or prejudice of one of the characteristics stated above.

Sexual Harassment Prohibited

The School and District shall provide an educational environment free of verbal, physical, or other conduct or communications constituting harassment on the basis of sex as defined and otherwise prohibited by State and federal law.

Teen Dating Violence Prohibited

Engaging in teen dating violence that takes place at school, on school property, at school-sponsored activities, or in vehicles used for school-provided transportation is prohibited. For purposes of this policy, the term teen dating violence occurs whenever a student who is 13 to 19 years of age uses or threatens to use physical, mental, or emotional abuse to control an individual in the dating relationship; or uses or threatens to use sexual violence in the dating relationship.

For more information about this issue, please see the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's educational materials at: www.cdc.gov/injury/features/dating-violence/index.html. 

Making a Report or Complaint

Students are encouraged to promptly report claims or incidences of bullying, intimidation, harassment, sexual harassment, or any other prohibited conduct to the Nondiscrimination Coordinator, Building Principal, Assistant Building Principal, Dean of Students, a Complaint Manager, or any employee with whom the student is comfortable speaking. A student may choose to report to an employee of the student's same gender.

Nondiscrimination Coordinators for Round Lake Community Unit School District are:

Dr. Daniel Schuth, Director of Human Resources
P. 224.842.2008
dschuth@rlas-116.org 

Eric Apgar, Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services
P. 224.842.2075
eapgar@rlas-116.org 

Complaint Managers for Round Lake Community Unit School District are:

Dr. Daniel Schuth, Director of Human Resources
P. 224.842.2008
dschuth@rlas-116.org 

Heather Bennett, Deputy Superintendent
P. 224.842.2015
hbennett@rlas-116.org

Any person making a knowingly false accusation regarding prohibited conduct will likewise be subject to discipline.

Investigation Process

Reports and complaints of discrimination or harassment will be confidential to the greatest extent practicable, subject to the District’s duty to investigate and maintain an educational environment that is productive, respectful, and free of unlawful discrimination, including harassment.

Enforcement

Any District employee who is determined, after an investigation, to have engaged in conduct prohibited by this policy will be subject to remedial action and/or disciplinary action, up to and including discharge.

Any District student who is determined, after an investigation, to have engaged in conduct prohibited by this policy will be subject to remedial action and/or disciplinary action, including but not limited to, suspension and expulsion, consistent with the student discipline information in this handbook.

Any third party who is determined, after an investigation, to have engaged in conduct prohibited by this policy will be addressed in accordance with the authority of the Board in the context of the relationship of the third party to the District, e.g., vendor, parent, invitee, etc. Any person making a knowingly false accusation regarding prohibited conduct will likewise be subject to remedial and/or disciplinary action.

Retaliation Prohibited

Retaliation against any person for bringing complaints, participating in the complaint process, or otherwise providing information about discrimination or harassment based on race, color, or national origin is prohibited.

Individuals should report allegations of retaliation to the Building Principal, an administrator, the Nondiscrimination Coordinator, and/or a Complaint Manager.

Cross-reference:
Round Lake Area Schools Community Unit District 116 Policy, 7:20, Harassment of Students Prohibited 
Round Lake Area Schools Community Unit District 116 Policy, 7:185, Teen Dating Violence Prohibited