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White Center Heights Elementary School
10015 6th Avenue SW Seattle, WA 98146

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Monday-Friday: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

White Center Heights Elementary School
10015 6th Avenue SW Seattle, WA 98146

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Harassment, Discrimination & Sexual Harassment

HARASSMENT, INTIMIDATION OR BULLYING

The Highline School District is committed to a safe and civil educational environment for all students, employees, parents/legal guardians, volunteers, and community members that is free from harassment, intimidation, or bullying. 

“Harassment, intimidation, or bullying” means any intentionally written message or image - including those that are electronically transmitted - verbal, or physical act, including but not limited to one shown to be motivated by race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation including gender expression or identity, mental or physical disability, or other distinguishing characteristics, when an act: 

  • Physically harms a student or damages the student’s property.

  • Has the effect of substantially interfering with a student’s education.

  • Is so severe, persistent, or pervasive that it creates an intimidating or threatening educational environment; and/or

  • Has the effect of substantially disrupting the orderly operation of the school.

“Other distinguishing characteristics” can include but are not limited to physical appearance, clothing or other apparel, socioeconomic status, and weight.

Harassment, intimidation, and bullying can take many forms, including but not limited to, slurs, rumors, name calling, jokes, insinuations, demeaning comments, drawings, cartoons, pranks, ostracism, gestures, hazing, physical attacks, or threats.

In order to ensure respect and prevent harm, it is a violation of district policy for a student to be harassed, intimidated, or bullied by others in the school community, at school sponsored events, or when such actions create a substantial disruption to the educational process. 

Incident Reporting

Any student or students who believe they have been the target of unresolved, severe, or persistent harassment, intimidation, or bullying, or any other person in the school community who observes or receives notice that a student has or may have been the target of unresolved, severe, or persistent harassment, intimidation, or bullying may report incidents verbally or in writing to any staff member.

You can report Harassment, Intimidation or Bullying (HIB) to any school staff member or to the district's HIB Coordinator. For a copy of your district’s HIB Policy 3207 , Procedure 3207 and Form 3207, contact your school or district office or view it online here: https://www.highlineschools.org/departments/student-support/bullying-civil-rights-sexual-harrassment 

Your School Compliance Official: The principal (or designee) of your school 

Any person having inquiries should contact:

  • Address: 15675 Ambaum Blvd. SW, Burien, WA 98166

 

DISCRIMINATION

Highline School District does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, honorably discharged veteran or military status, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression and identity, marital status, the presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability.  This holds true for all students who are interested in participating in educational programs and/or extracurricular activities. Highline Public Schools also provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups.

You can report discrimination and discriminatory harassment to any school staff member or to the district's Civil Rights Coordinator. For a copy of your district’s nondiscrimination Policy 3210 and Procedure 3210, contact your school or district office or view it online here: https://www.highlineschools.org/departments/student-support/bullying-civil-rights-sexual-harrassment 

Your School Compliance Official: The principal (or designee) of your school 

Any person having inquiries should contact:

 

SEXUAL HARASSMENT

Highline Public Schools is committed to a positive and productive education free from discrimination, including sexual harassment. This commitment extends to all students involved in academic, educational, extracurricular, athletic, and other programs or activities of the school, whether that program or activity is in a school facility, on school transportation or at a class or school training held elsewhere.  

Definitions

For purposes of this policy, sexual harassment means unwelcome conduct or communication of a sexual nature.  Sexual harassment can occur adult to student, student to student or can be carried out by a group of students or adults and will be investigated by the District even if the alleged harasser is not a part of the school staff or student body.  The district prohibits sexual harassment of students by other students, employees or third parties involved in school district activities.

The term “sexual harassment” may include:

  • Acts of sexual violence;

  • Unwelcome sexual or gender-directed conduct or communication that interferes with an individual’s educational performance or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment;

  • Unwelcome sexual advances;

  • Unwelcome requests for sexual favors;

  • Sexual demands when submission is a stated or implied condition of obtaining an educational benefit;

  • Sexual demands where submission or rejection is a factor in an academic, or other school-related decision affecting an individual.

A “hostile environment” has been created for a student when sexual harassment is sufficiently serious to interfere with or limit the student’s ability to participate in or benefit from the school’s program. The more severe the conduct, the less need there is to demonstrate a repetitive series of incidents.  In fact, a single or isolated incident of sexual harassment may create a hostile environment if the incident is sufficiently severe, violent, or egregious.

You can report sexual harassment to any school staff member or to the district's Title IX Officer. For a copy of your district’s sexual harassment Policy 3205 and Procedure 3205, contact your school or district office, or view it online here: https://www.highlineschools.org/departments/student-support/bullying-civil-rights-sexual-harrassment 

Your School Compliance Official: The principal (or designee) of your school 

Any person having inquiries should contact:

 

COMPLAINT OPTIONS: DISCRIMINATION AND SEXUAL HARASSMENT

Before filing a complaint, you can discuss your concerns with the school principal or with the school district’s Title IX Officer or Civil Rights Coordinator. This is often the fastest way to revolve your concerns.

Complaint to the School District 

Step 1. Write Our Your Complaint

In most cases, complaints must be filed within one year from the date of the incident or conduct that is the subject of the complaint. A complaint must be in writing. Be sure to describe the conduct or incident, explain why you believe discrimination, discriminatory harassment, or sexual harassment has taken place, and describe what actions you believe the district should take to resolve the problem. Send your written complaint—by mail, fax, email, or hand delivery—to the district superintendent or civil rights compliance coordinator.

Step 2: School District Investigates Your Complaint

Once the district receives your written complaint, the coordinator will give you a copy of the complaint procedure and make sure a prompt and thorough investigation takes place. The superintendent or designee will respond to you in writing within 30 calendar days—unless you agree on a different time period. If your complaint involves exceptional circumstances that demand a lengthier investigation, the district will notify you in writing to explain why staff need a time extension and the new date for their written response.

Step 3: School District Responds to Your Complaint

In its written response, the district will include a summary of the results of the investigation, a determination of whether or not the district failed to comply with civil rights laws, notification that you can appeal this determination, and any measures necessary to bring the district into compliance with civil rights laws. Corrective measures will be put into effect within 30 calendar days after this written response—unless you agree to a different time period.

Appeal to the School District

If you disagree with the school district’s decision, you may appeal to the school district’s board of directors. You must file a notice of appeal in writing to the secretary of the school board within 10 calendar days after you received the school district’s response to your complaint. The school board will schedule a hearing within 20 calendar days after they received your appeal, unless you agree on a different timeline. The school board will send you a written decision within 30 calendar days after the district received your notice of appeal. The school board’s decision will include information about how to file a complaint with the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI).

Complaint to OSPI

If you do not agree with the school district’s appeal decision, state law provides the option to file a formal complaint with the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI). This is a separate complaint process that can take place if one of these two conditions has occurred: (1) you have completed the district’s complaint and appeal process, or (2) the district has not followed the complaint and appeal process correctly. 

You have 20 calendar days to file a complaint to OSPI from the day you received the decision on your appeal. You can send your written complaint to the Equity and Civil Rights Office at OSPI:

Email: Equity@k12.wa.us ǀ Fax: 360-664-2967

Mail or hand deliver: PO Box 47200, 600 Washington St. S.E., Olympia, WA 98504-7200

For more information, visit our website, or contact OSPI’s Equity and Civil Rights Office at 360-725-6162/TTY: 360-664-3631 or by e-mail at equity@k12.wa.us.

Other Discrimination Complaint Options

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

206-607-1600 ǀ TDD: 1-800-877-8339 ǀ OCR.Seattle@ed.gov ǀ OCR Website

Washington State Human Rights Commission
1-800-233-3247 ǀ TTY: 1-800-300-7525 ǀ Human Rights Commission Website 

 

GENDER INCLUSIVE SCHOOLS

Civil rights laws prohibit discrimination and discriminatory harassment on the basis of gender expression and gender identity in K–12 public schools. 

Discrimination is the unfair or unequal treatment or harassment of a person or group because they are part of a defined group, known as a protected class. 

Gender expression and gender identity are protected classes under Washington State law. 

Discriminatory harassment is harassment based on a protected class. It can take many forms, such as threats, name-calling, derogatory jokes, physical assault, or other conduct that is physically threatening, harmful, or humiliating.

Common Terms and Definitions

  • Assigned sex at birth: The sex a person was given at birth, usually based on anatomy or chromosomes (e.g., male, female, intersex, etc.)

  • Cisgender: A term used to describe people whose assigned sex matches their gender identity and/or gender expression (e.g., someone who was assigned female at birth and whose gender identity and/or gender expression is also female.)

  • Gender Expansive: A wider, more flexible range of gender identities or expressions than those typically associated with the binary gender system.

  • Gender Expression: The external ways in which a person expresses their gender to the world, such as through their behavior, emotions, mannerisms, dress, grooming habits, interests, and activities.

  • Gender Identity: A person’s internal and deeply-felt sense of being female, male, both, non-binary, gender-expansive, or other—regardless of the gender assigned at birth.

  • Transgender: A term often used to describe a person whose gender identity or expression, or both, are different from those traditionally associated with their sex assigned at birth.

  • Transitioning: The process in which a person goes from living and identifying as one gender to living and identifying as another.

You can report discrimination based on gender expression or gender identity to any school staff member or to the district's Gender Inclusive Schools Officer. For a copy of your district’s Gender Inclusive Schools policy and procedure, contact your school or district office, or view it online here: Policy 3211 and Procedure 3211

Your School Compliance Official: The principal (or designee) of your school

Any person having inquiries should contact:

  • Address: 15675 Ambaum Blvd. SW, Burien, WA 98166