Greenfield Public Schools Mandated Civil Rights Training

1. Greenfield Public SchoolsMandated Civil Rights Training 2014-2015

2. Why provide training? • Annual training is mandated by DESE. • All employees are required to participate. • This training protects individuals and the district and ensures that all employees know their rights and responsibilities.

3. What is non-discrimination? • The Greenfield Public Schools is committed to ensuring that all programs and facilities are accessible to all. • We actively seek to prevent discrimination or harassment on the basis of age, color, disability, national origin, religion, race or sexual orientation.

4. Federal Law: Title IX • Prohibits discrimination or harassment related to gender, including sexual harassment. • Refer to the district sexual harassment policy for specifics regarding steps taken to investigate. School personnel must contact administrator or appropriate personnel if a complaint is made. • William Bazyk is the Title IX Coordinator.

5. Federal Law: Title VI • Protects against discrimination based on race, color, and national origin. • Applies to students, parents, and employees. • Prohibits discrimination in student class assignments or ability tracking and protects ELL students.

6. Title IX: Understanding Sexual Harassment • Sexual harassment creates a hostile environment due to inappropriate speech, materials, or actions. • Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination and includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or other conduct of a sexual nature. • Sexual harassment interferes with school or work performance and creates an intimidating or offensive environment.

7. Title IX: Understanding Sexual Harassment Examples of prohibited activities that might create a hostile work/learning environment might include: • vulgar or explicit sexually related epithets, abusive language • sexually explicit behavior or indecent exposure by students or employees • graffiti, posters or calendars

8. Reporting Requirements • Any employee or student who believes he/she has been the victim of harassment or discrimination should report it to a teacher, counselor, building administrator, or the Director of Student Services. • Active investigations will result from the report, as applicable and may result in sanctions up to suspension or dismissal. • If the conduct violates the law, the appropriate authorities will be notified.

9. Tips for Addressing Harassment/Discrimination • Enlist parents, students, and community groups in the effort. • Monitor the school climate and foster respect and appreciation for diversity. • Be sensitive to religious holidays. • Implement measures to address harassment immediately and effectively. • Document and report all harassment incidents.

10. Federal Law: Section 504 • Requires that no qualified disabled person shall be discriminated against or be excluded from participation in an activity. • A disability is a mental or physical impairment that limits a person’s major life activities (self-care, walking, seeing, learning, breathing, speaking, working). • Reasonable accommodations/modifications must be made to provide access to programs and/or facilities.

11. Federal Law: Section 504 • No discrimination against a person with a disability will be permitted in any of the programs of the Greenfield Public Schools. • Questions about eligibility and enforcement should be directed to the building 504 coordinator or an administrator. • The district 504 Coordinator is William Bazyk, Director of Student Services.

12. Federal Law: Title II (ADA) • Prohibits discrimination against access to programs and facilities, free appropriate public education for elementary and secondary students, and employment discrimination. • Applies to special education services, evaluations, IEPs and student discipline.

13. Care and Protection of Children Under 18 • School personnel are mandated reporters. • If school personnel have reasonable cause to suspect physical or emotional abuse or substantial risk of harm/neglect they must follow Department of Children and Families (DCF) reporting requirements. • Please consult with school principal or the district Director of Student Services for assistance if abuse or neglect is suspected. • Whenever the school files a 51A with the Department of Children and Families a copy must be sent to the Director of Student Services within 24 hours.

14. Care and Protection of Children Under 18 • Any mandated reporter who fails to make required oral and written reports can be punished by a fine of up to $1,000. • Effective July 1, 2010, any mandated reporter who willfully fails to report child abuse and/or neglect that resulted in serious bodily injury or death can be punished by a fine of up to $5,000 and up to 2½ years in jail, and be reported to the person’s professional licensing authority.

15. An Act Relative Bullying in Schools In May of 2010 Governor Deval Patrick signed the anti bullying law into effect. The law is aimed at addressing the issue of bullying and cyber- bullying in schools. The bill prohibits bullying at school and school facilities, school sponsored events and functions, on buses and at bus stops, through the use of technology or electronic devices licensed by the school, and at non-school-related locations and through personal technology devices if the bullying affects the school environment.

16. An Act Relative to Bullying in Schools Bullying, the repeated use by one or more students of a written, verbal or electronic expression or a physical act or gesture or any combination thereof, directed at a victim that: • causes physical or emotional harm to the victim or damage to the victim’s property; • places the victim in reasonable fear of harm to himself or of damage to his property;

17. An Act Relative to Bullying in Schools • creates a hostile environment at school for the victim; • infringes on the rights of the victim at school; or • materially and substantially disrupts the education process or the orderly operation of a school. For the purposes of this section, bullying shall include cyber-bullying.

18. An Act Relative to Bullying in Schools • Any member of the school staff must immediately report instances of bullying or retaliation when it is observed or when they become aware of the act, to the building principal or to the person assigned to receive these reports.

19. Physical Restraint Requirements Regulation 46.03(1 & 2) Annually, For ALL staff - Review: • Methods of prevention of need for physical restraint • Types of restraint and related safety considerations • Administering restraint in accordance with student’s needs/limitations • Required reporting & documentation

20. Physical Restraint Requirements • Physical restraint - "The use of bodily force to limit a student’s freedom of movement." • Not physical restraint- “Touching or holding a student without the use of force” --- includes physical escort, touching to provide instructional assistance, and other forms of physical contact that do not include the use of force.

21. Physical Restraint Requirements Extended Restraint • Longer than 20 minutes. • Increases the risk of injury. • Requires additional written documentation and report to the Department of Secondary and Elementary Education.

22. Physical Restraint Requirements When may physical restraint be necessary? • When other, non-physical, interventions have been tried and failed or are judged to be inadequate to the circumstances. • AND a student’s behavior poses a threat of IMMINENT, SERIOUS, PHYSICAL HARM to self and/or others Do not use physical restraint • When non-physical interventions could be used. • As a response to property destruction, school disruption, refusal to comply, or verbal threats.

23. Physical Restraint Requirements Prevention/Learning from the Experience • Following every restraint action taken, the circumstances should be discussed with the student, and with others, as appropriate. • Ask: “How can we avoid this happening again?” • School maintains a log of all reported instances of physical restraint in the school.

24. Thank you for your attention! Additional information related to these topics is available: • Greenfield School Committee Policies • MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education • Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education