For students, employees, parents or guardians of its students, school and district advisory committees, appropriate private school officials or representatives, and other interested parties

Policy against Discrimination Based on Sex

The Burton School District is committed to providing educational programs, activities and  ervices that are free from unlawful discrimination based on actual or perceived legally protected characteristics, or association with a person or group with one or more of such characteristics, including sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, and gender expression, as required by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. The District’s general nondiscrimination/harassment policy is found at Board Policy No. 0410.

The District’s Title IX Coordinator
Dr. Perla Soria, Director of Student Services
Burton School District
2440 W Henderson 
Porterville CA 93257
559 782-5954

perla.soria@burtonschools.org

Summary of Student Rights (Education Code section 221.8)

1. You have the right to fair and equitable treatment and to be free from discrimination based on your sex.
2. You have the right to an equitable opportunity to participate in all academic extracurricular activities, including athletics.
3. You have the right to ask the athletic director of your school about the athletic opportunities offered by the school.
4. You have the right to apply for athletic scholarships.
5. You have the right to equitable treatment and benefits in:
   1. Equipment and supplies
   2. Scheduling of games and practices
   3. Transportation and daily allowances
   4. Access to tutoring 
   5. Coaching
   6. Locker rooms
   7. Practice and competitive facilities
   8. Medical and training facilities and services
   9. Publicity
6. You have access to a gender equity coordinator to answer questions about gender equity laws.
7. You have the right to contact the California Department of Education (CDE) and the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) for information on gender equity laws.
8. You have the right to file a confidential discrimination complaint with the United States Office for Civil Rights (OCR) or CDE if you believe you have been discriminated against or received unequal treatment on the basis of your sex.
9. You have the right to pursue civil remedies if you have been discriminated against.
10. You have the right to be protected from retaliation if you file a discrimination complaint.

For more information regarding student rights under Title IX, please visit:

• The California Office of Equal Opportunity at http://www.cde.ca.gov/re/di/eo/genequitytitleix.asp
• The United States Department of Education Office for Civil Rights at https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/title-ix-rights-201104.html

The School’s Responsibilities

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits discrimination based on sex in programs and activities of federally funded institutions. School district programs and activities must be operated free from discrimination. Key areas addressed by Title IX include: athletics; sexual misconduct, including sexual harassment and sexual violence; pregnant and parenting students; off-campus activities; recruitment and admission; and employment. Schools must protect against discrimination in these areas. Schools must also prohibit retaliation against any person for opposing an unlawful practice or policy, or filing, testifying about, or participating in any complaint under Title IX.

For more information about schools’ responsibilities under Title IX, please visit:

• The California Office of Equal Opportunity at http://www.cde.ca.gov/re/di/eo/titleixnotification.asp
• The United States Department of Education Office of Civil Rights at https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/tix_dis.html

How to File a Title IX Complaint?

Individuals who believe they have been discriminated against in violation of Title IX may file a complaint with the District or the Office for Civil Rights (OCR). If a crime is involved, such as sexual assault, individuals may also file a report with the local police department. A person may pursue one or all of these avenues at the same time. Below is a summary of each process.

District Complaint: Title IX complaints may be filed using the District’s uniform complaint procedure, Board Policy No. 1312.3.

Time Requirement: A complaint with the District must be filed within six (6) months of the discrimination occurring or your awareness of the discrimination. (5 CCR 4630(b).) Upon written request setting forth the reasons for an extension, the Superintendent or designee may extend the time for filing a discrimination complaint by up to ninety (90) days for good cause. (5 CCR 4630(b).) If you have any questions about this time limit, or if you believe your complaint may be outside this time requirement but want to explore other options, please contact the Title IX Coordinator.

Investigation Procedure: Upon receipt of any complaint related to a potential Title IX violation, the District will ensure every allegation is investigated promptly, adequately and impartially. The District will also take steps to protect complainants from retaliation and ensure all parties are treated fairly throughout the District’s investigation process. As part of its Title IX obligations, the District also takes steps to prevent recurrence of any unlawful discrimination, harassment, or sexual violence and remedy discriminatory effects on the complainant and others, as appropriate. The District’s procedure for investigating a Title IX complaint can be found at Administrative Regulation No. 1312.3. Please contact the Title IX Coordinator if you have any questions.

OCR Complaint

For information regarding filing a complaint with OCR, please see https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/complaintintro.html 

• OCR provides an online complaint filing system at https://ocrcas.ed.gov/
• OCR can also be contacted through the California regional office at:

Office for Civil Rights 
U.S. Department of Education 
50 United Nations Plaza 
Mail Box 1200, Room 1545 
San Francisco, CA 94102
Telephone: 415-486-5555
Email: ocr.sanfrancisco@ed.gov

Time Requirement: OCR requires complaints to be filed within 180 calendar days of the alleged discrimination. Please contact OCR, or visit the websites above, if you have any questions about this time requirement.

Investigation Procedure: For information regarding OCR’s investigation process, please see https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/complaints-how.html