Nondiscrimination Statement

Discrimination and harassment on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, or disability negatively affects a student’s ability to learn and an employee’s ability to work. Providing an educational and workplace environment free from such discrimination and harassment is an important District and School goal. The District and School do not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, national origin, sex, or disability in any of its education programs or activities and comply with federal and State non-discrimination laws. 

Examples of conduct that may constitute discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, or disability include: disciplining students more harshly and frequently because of their race, color, national origin, sex, or disability; denying students access to high-rigor academic courses, extracurricular activities, or other educational opportunities based on their race, color, national origin, sex, or disability; denying language services or other educational opportunities to English learners; and assigning students special education services based on a student's race, color, national origin, sex, or disability. 

Harassment is a form of prohibited discrimination. Examples of conduct that may constitute harassment on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, or disability include: the use of racial, ethnic or ancestral slurs or stereotypes; taunts; name-calling; offensive or derogatory remarks about a person's actual or perceived race, color, national origin, sex, or disability; the display of racially-offensive symbols; racially-motivated physical threats and attacks; or other hateful conduct. 

Individuals are encouraged to promptly report claims or incidences of discrimination or harassment based on race, color, national origin, sex, or disability to the Nondiscrimination Coordinator, a Complaint Manager, or any employee with whom the student is comfortable speaking. Reports will be processed under the District’s Uniform Grievance Procedure. 

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. 

If the District fails to take necessary corrective action to stop harassment based on race, color, national origin, sex, or disability, further relief may be available through the Illinois Dept. of Human Rights (IDHR) or the U.S. Dept. of Education's Office for Civil Rights. To contact IDHR, go to: https://dhr.illinois.gov/about-us/contact-idhr.html or call (312) 814-6200 (Chicago) or (217) 785-5100 (Springfield). 

The District maintains a prevention and response program to respond to complaints of discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, or disability, including harassment, and retaliation. The program includes procedures for responding to complaints which: 

1. Reduce or remove, to the extent practicable, barriers to reporting discrimination, harassment, and retaliation; 

2. Permit any person who reports or is the victim of an incident of alleged discrimination, harassment, or retaliation to be accompanied when making a report by a support individual of the person's choice who complies with the District's policies and rules; 

3. Permit anonymous reporting, except that an anonymous report may not be the sole basis of any disciplinary action; 

4. Offer remedial interventions or take such disciplinary action as may be appropriate on a case-by-case basis; 

5. Offer, but do not require or unduly influence, a person who reports or is the victim of an incident of harassment or retaliation the option to resolve allegations directly with the accused; and 

6. Protects a person who reports or is the victim of an incident of harassment or retaliation from suffering adverse consequences as a result of a report of, investigation of, or a response to the incident. 

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. 

Nondiscrimination Coordinator:
Name: Victoria White
Address:  600 Louisa Ave., Dupo, IL  62239
Email:      vwhite@dupo196.org
Telephone:  (618) 286-3812

Complaint Manager:
Name: Keith Book
Address:  600 Louisa Ave., Dupo, IL  62239
Email:      kbook@dupo196.org
Telephone:  (618) 286-3214 x2114

Complaint Manager:
Name: Kyle Baker
Address: 905 Bluffview Elementary Ln., Dupo, IL  62239
Email:      kbaker@dupo196.org
Telephone:  (618) 286-3311 x3225

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

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