Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 – Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990

The Board encourages all complaints regarding the district to be resolved at the lowest possible administrative level. Individuals should attempt to resolve problems informally before utilizing this complaint procedure. Whenever a complaint is made directly to the board as a whole or to a board member as an individual, it will be referred to the administration for study and possible solution.
 

Discrimination against any individual on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age or religion in the admission or access to, of treatment or employment in the

district’s programs and activities is prohibited. Rusty Arnold, Superintendent, at 416 E Elm, Sedan, KS, Phone (620) 725-3186 has been designated to coordinate compliance with nondiscrimination requirements contained in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and The Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990. Information concerning the provisions of these Acts, and the rights provided there under, are available from the compliance coordinator.
 

Complaints by an employee should be addressed to the employee’s supervisor, the building principal, or the compliance coordinator. Complaints by a student should be addressed to the building principal, or the compliance coordinator. Complaints by any other person alleging discrimination should be addressed to the building administrator or the compliance coordinator.

Complaints about discrimination will be resolved through the following complaint procedure:
 

1) A complaint should be filed in writing and contain the name and address of the person filing the complaint. The complaint should briefly describe the alleged violation.
2) A complaint should be filed within 30 days after the complaint becomes aware of the alleged violation unless the conduct forming the basis for the complaint is ongoing
3) If appropriate, an investigation shall follow the filing of the complaint. If the complaint is against the superintendent, the board shall appoint an investigation officer. In other instances, the investigation shall be conducted by an investigative officer appointed by the superintendent. The investigation shall be informal, but thorough. All interested persons, including the complainant and the person against whom the complaint is lodged, will be afforded an opportunity to submit relevant information, written or oral to the investigator. 
4) A written determination of the complaint’s validity and a description of the resolution shall be issued by the investigator, and a copy forwarded to the complainant no later than 30 days after the filing of the complaint.
5) Records relating to complaints and their resolution shall be maintained by the Compliance Coordinator and shall be kept confidential to the extent allowed by law.
6) The complainant may appeal the resolution of the complaint to the Superintendent or to the board of education if the complaint was against the superintendent. The request to
appeal the resolution shall be made within 15 days after the date of the written resolution of the complaint at the lower level. The appeal officer shall review the evidence gathered by the investigator and the investigator’s report, and shall afford the complainant and the person against whom the complaint is filed an opportunity to submit further evidence, orally or in writing, within 30 days after the appeal is filed. The appeal officer will issue a written determination of the complaint’s validity and a description of its resolution with 15 days after the investigation is complete. 
7) Use of the complaint procedure is not a prerequisite to the pursuit of any other remedies.

8) The district will take steps to prevent the recurrence of discrimination and correct its discrimination effects on the complainant and others.