4119.11 AR - Sexual Harassment

Personnel
Administrative Regulation No. 4119.11/4219.11/4319.11
Reviewed/Revised:  November 2, 2023

Sexual Harassment

This administrative regulation shall apply to all allegations of sexual harassment involving employees, interns, volunteers, and job applicants, but shall not be used to resolve any complaint by or against a student.

Definitions

Prohibited sexual harassment includes, but is not limited to, unwelcome sexual advances, unwanted requests for sexual favors or other unwanted verbal, visual or physical conduct of a sexual nature, regardless of whether or not the conduct is motivated by sexual desire.   Conduct is considered to be sexual harassment when made against another person of the same or opposite sex in the work or educational setting under any of the following conditions:  (Education Code 212.5; Government Code 12940; 2 CCR 11034)

Submission to the conduct is made explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of the individual’s employment.

Submission to or rejection of such conduct by the individual is used as the basis for an employment decision affecting the individual

3.         The conduct has the purpose or effect of having a negative impact upon the individual's work performance or of creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment.

4. Submission to or rejection of the conduct by the other individual is used as the basis for any decision affecting him/her regarding benefits, services, honors, programs or activities available at or through the district

For purposes of applying the complaint procedures specified in Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, sexual harassment is defined as any of the following forms of conduct that occurs in an education program or activity in which a district school exercises substantial control over the context and respondent:  (34 CFR 106.30, 106.44)

  1. A district employee conditioning the provision of a district aid, benefit, or service on the person's participation in unwelcome sexual conduct
     
  2. Unwelcome conduct determined by a reasonable person to be so severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive that it effectively denies a person equal access to the district's education program or activity
     
  3. Sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, or stalking as defined in 20 USC 1092 or 34 USC 12291

 

Examples of Sexual Harassment

Examples of actions that might constitute sexual harassment under state or federal law in accordance with the definitions above, in the work or educational setting, whether committed by a supervisor, a co-worker, or a non-employee, include, but are not limited to:

Unwelcome verbal conduct such as sexual flirtations or propositions; graphic comments about an individual’s body; overly personal conversations or pressure for sexual activity; sexual jokes or stories; unwelcome sexual slurs, epithets, threats, innuendos, derogatory comments, sexually degrading descriptions, or the spreading of sexual rumors

Unwelcome visual conduct such as drawings, pictures, graffiti, or gestures; sexually explicit e-mails; displaying sexually suggestive objects

Unwelcome physical conduct such as massaging, grabbing, fondling, stroking or brushing the body; touching an individual’s body or clothes in a sexual way; cornering, blocking, leaning over, or impeding normal movements

Title IX Coordinator/Compliance Officer

The district designates the following individual(s) as the responsible employee(s) to coordinate its efforts to comply with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 in accordance with AR 4119.12/4219.12/4319.12 - Title IX Sexual Harassment Complaint Procedures, as well as to oversee, investigate, and resolve sexual harassment complaints processed under AR 4030 - Nondiscrimination in Employment.  The Title IX Coordinator(s) may be contacted at:

Chief Human Relations Officer
MVWSD
1400 Montecito Ave., Mountain View, CA 94043
650-526-3500
[email protected]

Training

Every two years, the Superintendent or designee shall ensure that supervisory employees receive at least two hours, and nonsupervisory employees receive at least one hour, of classroom or other effective interactive training and education regarding sexual harassment. All newly hired employees and employees promoted to a supervisory position shall receive training within six months of their assumption of the new position. (Government Code 12950.1)

A supervisory employee is any employee having the authority, in the interest of the district, to hire, transfer, suspend, lay off, promote, discharge, assign, reward, or discipline other employees, or the responsibility to direct them, adjust their grievances, or effectively recommend such action, when the exercise of the authority is not of a merely routine or clerical nature, but requires the use of independent judgment.  (Government Code 12926) Such training may be completed by employees individually or as part of a group presentation, may be completed in shorter segments as long as the applicable hourly requirement is met, and may be provided in conjunction with other training provided to the employees. The training shall be presented by trainers or educators with knowledge and expertise in the prevention of harassment, discrimination, and retaliation.  (Government Code 12950.1)

The district's sexual harassment training and education program shall include, but is not limited to, the following:  (Government Code 12950.1; 2 CCR 11024)

1.         Information and practical guidance regarding the federal and state law on the prohibition, prevention and correction of sexual harassment.

2. The types of conduct that constitute sexual harassment.

3. Remedies available for victims in civil actions, and potential employer/individual exposure/liability

4. Strategies to prevent harassment in the workplace

5.         A supervisor's obligation to report sexual harassment, discrimination, and retaliation of which he/she becomes aware.

 

6. Practical examples which illustrate sexual harassment, discrimination, and retaliation using training modalities such as role plays, case studies, and group discussions, based on factual scenarios taken from case law, news and media accounts, and hypotheticals based on workplace situations and other sources

7. The limited confidentiality of the complaint process

8. Resources for victims of unlawful harassment, such as to whom they should report any alleged harassment

9. Steps necessary to take appropriate remedial measures to correct harassing behavior, which includes the district's obligation to conduct an effective workplace investigation of a harassment complaint

10. What to do if the supervisor is personally accused of harassment
 11.  The essential elements of the district's anti-harassment policy, and how to use the policy if a harassment complaint is filed

12. Employees shall receive a copy of the district's sexual harassment policy and administrative regulations, which they shall read and acknowledge that they have received.

13. Information, including practical examples, of harassment based on gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation

14. Prevention of abusive conduct, including a review of the definition and elements of abusive conduct pursuant to Government Code 12950.1, the negative effects that abusive conduct has on the victim and other in the workplace, the detrimental consequences of this conduct on employee productivity and morale, and that a single act does not constitute abusive conduct unless the act is severe or egregious

The Superintendent or designee shall retain for at least two years the records of any training provided to supervisory employees.  Such records shall include the names of trained employees, date of the training, the type of training, and the name of the training provider. (2CCR 11013)

Notifications

The Superintendent or designee shall notify employees that the district does not discriminate on the basis of sex as required by Title IX, that the Title IX nondiscrimination requirement extends to employment, and that inquiries about the application of Title IX to the district may be referred to the district's Title IX Coordinator and/or to the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education.  (34 CFR 106.8)

The district shall notify employees, bargaining units, and applicants for employment of the name or title, office address, email address, and telephone number of the district's Title IX Coordinator.  (34 CFR 106.8)

A copy of the Board’s policy and this administrative regulation shall: 

1.         Be displayed in a prominent location in the main administrative building, district office, or other area of the school where notices of district rules, regulations, procedures and standards of conduct are posted

2.         Be provided to each district employee at the beginning of the first quarter or semester of the school year, or whenever a new employee is hired (Education Code 231.5)

3.         Appear in any school or district publication that sets forth the school’s or district’s comprehensive rules, regulations, procedures and standards of conduct (Education Code 231.5)

4. Be posted, along with the name or title and contact information of the Title IX Coordinator, in a prominent location on the district's web site  (34 CFR 106.8)

5. Be included, along with the name or title and contact information of the Title IX Coordinator, in any handbook provided to employees or employee organizations  (34 CFR 106.8)

All employees shall receive either a copy of information sheets prepared by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) or a copy of district information sheets that contain, at a minimum, components on:  (Government Code 12950)

1.         The illegality of sexual harassment

2.         The definition of sexual harassment under applicable state and federal law

3.         A description of sexual harassment, with examples

4.         The district’s complaint process available to the employee

5.         The legal remedies and complaint process available through DFEH and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

6.         Directions on how to contact DFEH and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

7.         The protection against retaliation provided by 2 CCR 7287.8 for opposing harassment prohibited by law or filing a complaint with or otherwise participating in an investigation, proceeding or hearing conducted by DFEH or the EEOC.

 In addition, the district shall post, in a prominent and accessible location, DFEH’s poster on discrimination in employment and the illegality of sexual harassment. (Government Code 12950)

Complaint Procedures

All complaints and allegations of sexual harassment by and against employees shall be investigated and resolved in accordance with law and district procedures.  The Title IX Coordinator shall review the allegations to determine the applicable procedure for responding to the complaint.  All complaints that meet the definition of sexual harassment under Title IX shall be investigated and resolved in accordance with AR 4119.12/4219.12/4319.12 - Title IX Sexual Harassment Complaint Procedures.  Other sexual harassment complaints shall be investigated and resolved pursuant to AR 4030 - Nondiscrimination in Employment.

If sexual harassment is found following an investigation, the Title IX Coordinator, or designee in consultation with the Coordinator, shall take prompt action to stop the sexual harassment, prevent recurrence, and address any continuing effects.

 

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