Title IX and Sex Discrimination
This notification is to certify that the Orange-Ulster Board of Cooperative Educational Services is committed to creating and maintaining education programs and activities which are free from sex discrimination, including sexual harassment. Title IX is a federal civil rights law in the United States of America that was passed as part of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 and its implementation regulations (Title IX). As required by Title IX, BOCES does not discriminate on the basis of sex in its educational programs and activities, or when making employment decisions. It is just one component of the BOCES overall commitment to maintaining a discrimination and harassment-free educational and work environment.
Title IX prohibits various types of sex discrimination including, but not limited to: sexual harassment; the failure to provide equal athletic opportunity; sex-based discrimination in BOCES science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) courses and programs; and discrimination based on pregnancy.
Under Title IX, sexual harassment includes conduct on the basis of sex that satisfies one or more of the following:
- An employee of BOCES conditioning the provision of an aid, benefit, or service of BOCES on an individual's participation in unwelcome sexual conduct;
- 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 BOCES education program or activity;
- Sexual assault, meaning an offense classified as a forcible or nonforcible sex offense under the uniform crime reporting system of the Federal Bureau of Investigation;
- Dating violence;
- Domestic violence, meaning felony or misdemeanor crimes of violence committed by a current or former spouse or intimate partner of the victim, by a person with whom the victim shares a child in common, by a person who is cohabitating with or has cohabitated with the victim as a spouse or intimate partner, by a person similarly situated to a spouse of the victim under the domestic or family violence laws of the jurisdiction receiving grant monies, or by any other person against an adult or youth victim who is protected from that person’s acts under the domestic or family violence laws of the jurisdiction; or
- Stalking, meaning engaging in a course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to fear for his or her safety or the safety of others, or suffer substantial emotional distress.
The BOCES will promptly respond to reports of sex discrimination, ensure that all investigations are conducted within a reasonably prompt timeframe and under a predictable fair grievance process that provides due process protections to complainants and respondents, and impose sanctions and implement remedies when warranted. Anyone who believes he/she has been subjected to prohibited sexual discrimination, harassment or intimidation or who has witnessed anyone engaging in such prohibited activity should immediately contact his or her supervisor (if an employee) and the Title IX/Section 504/ADA Coordinator. If, for any or no reason, anyone is hesitant to bring the matter to the attention of his or her supervisor (if an employee) or the Title IX/Section 504/ADA Coordinator, a report can be properly made to the District Superintendent, or the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights.
The Title IX/Section 504/ADA Coordinator(s) responsible for the above compliances are listed below. Ms. Stroka will provide information, including complaint procedures, to any student, employee or person who feels that his or her rights have been violated.
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Kerri B. Stroka, Deputy Superintendent |
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