Please refer to the following Board Policies (BP) and Administrative Regulations (AR) for more information on the District’s anti-discrimination policies. For convenience, these policies have been pulled from our online policy management system (Simbli), but always check Simbli for the most current version of our policies, as they do get updated from time to time.

Please refer to the following Board Policies (BP) and Administrative Regulations (AR) for more information on the District’s anti-discrimination policies. For convenience, these policies have been pulled from our online policy management system (Simbli), but always check Simbli for the most current version of our policies, as they do get updated from time to time.

Please refer to the following Board Policies (BP) and Administrative Regulations (AR) for more information on the District’s anti-discrimination policies. For convenience, these policies have been pulled from our online policy management system (Simbli), but always check Simbli for the most current version of our policies, as they do get updated from time to time.

Visit the websites of the United States Department of Education Office for Civil Rights and the webpage on sex discrimination.

Review the United States Department of Education Office for Civil Rights, Know Your Rights documents:

• Title IX prohibits sexual harassment and sexual violence
• Title IX requires the District to address sexual violence
• Title IX prohibits discrimination against pregnant or parenting individuals
• Visit the website of the California Department of Education Office of Equal Opportunity and the webpage on Gender Equity/Title IX 
• Visit the website of the California Department of Education Office of Safe Schools for more information on Bullying & Hate-Motivated Behavior Prevention
• Review related District policies and regulations by visiting the links provided in the first section of this page or by contacting the District's Title IX coordinator.

A student, parent, guardian, employee, individual or organization may file a written complaint alleging discrimination, harassment, intimidation, and/or bullying on the basis of a protected characteristic under the District’s Uniform Complaint Procedure by sending a complaint to the compliance officer below:

Title IX Coordinator

Bennett Valley Union School District, 2250 Mesquite Dr., CA 95405

titleix@bvusd.org | (707) 542-2201

If you need assistance putting your complaint in writing, please contact the Superintendent’s Office at superintendent@bvusd.org.

You may file a complaint anonymously, but the District’s ability to investigate and respond may be limited by a lack of information.

You may also file a discrimination complaint with the U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights.

The electronic complaint form for the Office of Civil Rights.

Contact the Office for Civil Rights at:

San Francisco Office, Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education

50 United Nations Plaza, San Francisco, CA 94102

phone (415) 486-5555

fax (415) 486-5570

TDD: (800) 877-8339

email ocr.sanfrancisco@ed.gov

You have the following rights under Title IX, to the extent applicable at the District:

• You have the right to fair and equitable treatment and you shall not be discriminated against based on your sex
• You have the right to be provided with an equitable opportunity to participate in all academic extracurricular activities, including athletics
• You have the right to inquire of the athletic director of your school or appropriate District personnel as to the athletic opportunities offered by the school
• You have the right to apply for athletic scholarships if the District offers any
• You have the right to receive equitable treatment and benefits in the provision of all of the following related to athletics, if any are provided by the District:
• Equipment and supplies;
• Scheduling of games and practices;
• Transportation and daily allowances;
• Access to tutoring;
• Coaching;
• Practice and competitive facilities
• You have the right to have access to a sex/gender equity coordinator, referred to as the Title IX Coordinator, to answer questions regarding sex/gender equity laws
• You have the right to contact the State Department of Education and the California Interscholastic Federation to access information on sex/gender equity laws
• You have the right to file a confidential discrimination complaint with the United States Department of Education Office for Civil Rights or the California Department of Education if you believe you have been discriminated against or if you believe you have received unequal treatment on the basis of your sex
• You have the right to pursue civil remedies if you have been discriminated against
• You have the right to be protected against retaliation if you file a discrimination complaint (California Education Code § 221.8)

The District has a responsibility to respond promptly and effectively to sex-based discrimination, including sexual harassment and sexual violence. If the District knows or reasonably should know about sex discrimination, it must take action to eliminate the sex discrimination, prevent its recurrence, and address its effects. The District must resolve complaints of sex discrimination promptly and equitably. Information on filing a complaint alleging sex-based discrimination is below, including contact information for the District’s Title IX Coordinator.  For more information specific to anti-discrimination in District employment, please contact the Title IX Coordinator

Complaints filed under the District’s Uniform Complaint Procedure will be investigated and a decision made within sixty calendar days of the District’s receipt, unless the complainant agrees to an extension. The District’s compliance officer or designee may interview alleged victims, alleged offenders, and relevant witnesses. The compliance office may review available records, statements, or notes related to the complaint, including evidence or information received from the parties during the investigation. The compliance officer may visit reasonably accessible locations where discrimination is alleged to have occurred. As appropriate, the District’s compliance officer periodically will inform the parties of the status of the investigation. The complainant will be notified when a decision is made.

Complaints that are not filed under the District’s Uniform Complaint Procedures will be investigated and decided pursuant to the applicable procedure.

A complaint alleging unlawful discrimination or retaliation must be filed no later than six months from the date the discrimination or retaliation occurred, or six months from when the complainant first learned of the unlawful discrimination. The Superintendent or designee may extend this timeline by up to ninety days for good cause, upon written request by the complainant setting forth the reasons for the extension.

Training materials used to train our Title IX Coordinator, investigator, Decision-Maker, and Informal Resolution Facilitators can be found at the School & College Legal Services of California website.

For complaints filed under the Uniform Complaint Procedures, the compliance officer will prepare and send a final written decision to the complainant and respondent, if any, within sixty calendar days of the District’s receipt of the complainant (unless this deadline is extended by mutual agreement).

If the complainant or respondent is not satisfied with the decision, either the complainant or respondent may, within five business days, file the complaint in writing with the Board. The Board may consider the matter at its next regular Board meeting or at a special Board meeting convened in order to meet the 60-day time limit within which the complaint must be answered. When required by law, the matter shall be considered in closed session. The Board may decide not to hear the complaint, in which case the compliance officer's decision shall be final. The complainant or respondent may appeal the District’s decision within fifteen calendar days to the California Department of Education. The appeal must specify the reason for the appeal and whether the District’s facts are incorrect and/or the law is misapplied. The appeal must include a copy of the original complaint to the District and a copy of the District’s decision.

For more information, visit the California Department of Education’s webpage on Uniform Complaint Procedures.

For complaints alleging unlawful discrimination based on state law, the complainant may pursue available civil law remedies, including seeking assistance from mediation centers, or public/private interest attorneys, sixty calendar days after filing an appeal with the California Department of Education. (California Education Code § 262.3). Note that this sixty day moratorium does not apply to complaints seeking injunctive relief in state courts or to discrimination complaints based on federal law. (California Education Code §262.3). Complaints may also be filed with the United States Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, within 180 days of the alleged discrimination. For contact information, see the section above on “How do I file a complaint of sex discrimination?” for more information. If the compliance officer finds that a complaint has merit, the District will take appropriate corrective action.

Bullying is the repetitive, intentional hurting of one person or group by another person or group, where the relationship involves an imbalance of power.

Bullying can take many forms. It can include:

• Physical violence
• Intimidation and threats
• Name calling and belittling
• Social exclusion
• Gossiping and spreading rumors about others
• Public humiliation
• Using slurs, words or phrases that characterize a bullied victim’s identity to suggest that something about him/her is unacceptable or worthless

The following agreements help BVUSD keep our commitment to prevent and respond to bullying:

Children pick up on everything we do. Demonstrate kindness and raise objections in front of children when you witness inequality, cruelty or discrimination of any kind. Early and ongoing discussions about the importance of treating all beings with kindness, fairness and humanity, regardless of differences, is hugely impactful. Below are some tips to help teach children to be kind to others from a young age.

• Lead by example. Your children will learn to be kind to others by the way you act and speak to and about other people.
• Ask children how it feels when someone does something kind for them
• Praise when you notice them doing something kind for you, a sibling, a friend or a neighbor, and when they are kind to animals and pets
• When someone does something kind for you, tell your students about it and explain to them how it made you feel. Compliment the other person in front of the children for his or her kindness.
• Consistently speak out in opposition against hatred, cruelty and prejudice toward others.
• Demonstrate the golden rule and lend a helping hand to those in need.
• Help children develop pro social skills via programs such as RULER, Tool Box and Second Step

Children who are being bullied may feel embarrassed or afraid to let adults know about the situation, especially if they feel adults will judge them or fail to protect them. If your child or student tells you that he or she is being bullied, be understanding and supportive, because it can take a lot of courage to admit it. Ask the child what he or she thinks can be done to help the situation and make suggestions yourself. It is important not to ignore the situation or pretend it is not happening. Rational decisions about next steps and ways to end the bullying need to be made as soon as possible.

No one can stop bullying alone — it takes a group effort from teachers, school administrators, community members, parents/guardians, extended family members and kids/youth. Here are some additional action steps you can take if your child is being bullied:

• Assess the impact and seek therapeutic or emergency help if necessary.
• Communicate to the child that they are not to blame and that they love the child for who he or she is.
• Parents may need to seek support and advice themselves, if they are struggling with why their child is being bullied (e.g., issues surrounding body image such as obesity, the child’s annoying mannerisms or behaviors, sexual orientation, etc.).
• Talk with the child about why kids might bully other kids (see above) and how to protect him/herself, both emotionally and physically.
• Talk about not being “entertainment” for the bully.
• Encourage the child to take part in extracurricular activities that highlight his or her strengths and that make the child feel safe, special and accepted.
• Seek out positive adult mentors (e.g., extended family members, teachers, coaches, volunteers, etc.) whom the child can relate to.

• Previous traumatic experiences of their own, including maltreatment or bullying.
• For attention (of other kids, adults)
• To feel in control (typically when they feel powerless otherwise)
• Low self-esteem—they cut someone down to make themselves feel better.
• A lack of warmth and involvement on the part of their parents.
• Parent(s) exhibiting bullying behavior or violence to others, including to both people and animals.
• Harsh, physical discipline at home, including physical abuse.
• A lack of supervision or intervention (including little to no limits for children’s behavior) by parents, guardians, teachers and other adults.
• Victimization by older siblings.
• Friends who bully or who have positive attitudes about violence.
• Models of bullying behavior are prevalent throughout society, especially in television, movies and video games.
• Some aggressive children who take on high status roles may use bullying as a way to enhance their social power and protect their prestige with peers.
• Some children with low social status may use bullying as a way to deflect taunting and aggression that is directed toward them and enhance their social status with higher status peers.
• Bullying thrives in schools where faculty and staff do not address bullying, where there are weak policies against bullying and discrimination, and where there is little supervision of students — especially at recess or during free periods.

What Parents Should Know: A Two Part Article

Bullying includes behaviors such as hitting, teasing, taunting, spreading rumors and gossip, stealing, and excluding someone from a group. Bullying actions are carried out on purpose with the intent to harm someone.

Read Part 1 | Read Part 2

Make Conversation a Daily Habit

We recently partnered with Seattle Seahawks Wide Receiver Doug Baldwin and La-Z-Boy to help stop bullying and share some tips with parents.

A Discussion with Sesame Workshop

We partnered with Sesame Workshop—the producers of Sesame Street—to prevent bullying. Watch this five-part series to learn more about bullying, its effects, and what to do.

Cyber-Bullying & Internet Safety

The Internet can be a wonderful resource for kids. They can use it to research school reports, communicate with teachers and other kids, and play interactive games. Kids who are old enough to punch in a few letters on the keyboard can literally access the world. But that access can also pose hazards. For example, an 8-year-old might do an online search for “Lego.” But with just one missed keystroke, the word “Legs” is entered instead, and the child may be directed to a slew of websites with a focus on legs — some of which may contain pornographic material. Remember that the Internet is accessed by millions of people all over the world. While many Internet users are friendly, some may want to hurt children. Just like any safety issue, it’s wise to talk with kids about your concerns, take advantage of resources to protect them, and keep a close eye on their activities.

 

Ways to stay cyber-safe

Never allow students to post or share personal information online (this includes full name, address, telephone number, school name, parents’ names, credit card number, or Social Security number) or friends’ personal information.

Basic Rules for Cyber Safety

• Never share Internet passwords except with school staff and parents.
• Never meet anyone face-to-face whom you only know online.
• Never trade personal photographs in the mail or scanned photographs over the Internet.
• Never reveal personal information such as address, phone number, or school name or location. Use only a screen name. Never agree to meet anyone from a chat room in person.
• Never respond to a threatening email or message.
• Always tell a parent about any communication or conversation that was scary or uncomfortable.

 

Chat Room Cautions

Chat rooms are set up according to interest or subject, such as a favorite sport or TV show. Because people can communicate with each other alone or in a group, chat rooms are among the most popular destinations on the Web — especially for kids and teens. But chat rooms can pose hazards for kids. Some kids have met “friends” in chat rooms who were interested in exploiting them. No one knows how common chat-room predators are, but pedophiles (adults who are sexually interested in children) are known to frequent chat rooms. These predators sometimes prod their online acquaintances to exchange personal information, such as addresses and phone numbers, thus putting the kids they are chatting with — and their families — at risk. Predators often pose as teenagers in chat rooms. Because many kids have been told by parents not to give out their home phone numbers, predators may encourage kids to call them; with caller ID the offenders instantly have the kids’ phone numbers. Students should get permission from parents before using chat rooms and tell their parents if anyone asks for them to call or to give personal information. Chat rooms may NOT be used at school.

How are children and teens cyberbullied?

Cyberbullying can be a common and painful experience. Some youth who cyberbully:

• Pretend they are other people online to trick others
• Spread lies and rumors about victims
• Trick people into revealing personal information
• Send or forward mean text messages
• Post pictures of victims without their consent

Why do children and teens cyberbully?

When children and teens were asked why they think others cyberbully, 81 percent said that cyberbullies think it’s funny. Other teens believe that youth who cyberbully:

• Don’t think it’s a big deal
• Don’t think about the consequences
• Are encouraged by friends
• Think everybody cyberbullies
• Think they won’t get caught

How do victims react?

Cyberbullying is a big deal, and can cause a variety of reactions in children and teens. Some have reacted in positive ways to try to prevent cyberbullying by:

• Blocking communication with the cyberbully
• Deleting messages without reading them
• Talking to a friend about the bullying
• Reporting the problem to an Internet service provider or website moderator

Many youth experience a variety of emotions when they are cyberbullied. Youth who are cyberbullied report feeling angry, hurt, embarrassed, or scared. These emotions can cause victims to react in ways such as:

• Seeking revenge on the bully
• Avoiding friends and activities
• Cyberbullying back

Some feel threatened because they may not know who is cyberbullying them. Although cyberbullies may think they are anonymous, they can be found. If you are cyberbullied or harassed and need help, save all communication with the cyberbully and talk to a parent, teacher, law enforcement officer, or other adult.

What are some warning signs that my child may be cyberbullying others?

Children who normally wouldn’t become traditional bullies (e.g., shy or introverted children) can be more easily drawn into cyberbullying because of its semi-anonymous nature. If you observe the following signs in your child, closely monitor computer or cell phone access and have a serious conversation:

• Increasing cruelty to others, including people and/or animals
• Being very secretive about online activities; avoiding discussions about what they do on devices
• Quickly switching screens or closing programs when you walk by
• Using the computer or other devices late at night
• Getting unusually upset if they can’t use the computer or other devices
• Using multiple online accounts or an account that is not their own

How can students help prevent cyberbullying?

Teens have figured out ways to prevent cyberbullying. Follow in the footsteps of other quick-thinking children and teens and:

• Refuse to pass along cyberbullying messages
• Tell friends to stop cyberbullying
• Block communication with cyberbullies
• Report cyberbullying to a trusted adult
• Work with peers, teachers, and school administrators to develop rules against cyberbullying

If you wouldn’t say it in person, don’t say it online.

Delete cyberbullying.

Don’t write it.

Don’t forward it.

What can parents do if their child may be cyberbullying others?

Discovering that your child or student is a cyberbully can be worrisome. The good news is you’re aware and want to stop it. Consider:

• Remembering that children who bully others may also have been victims of bullying or other trauma; talk about why the behavior is happening
• Explaining clearly that this behavior will not be tolerated
• Discussing the severity and consequences; ask how they’d feel if it were reported to authorities or if they were on the receiving end
• Planning ways to repair harm to the victim, the victim’s loved ones, and/or the community
• Monitoring Internet and phone activities—or removing access if necessary
• Seeking help from a school counselor or mental health provider if needed