528.0 Student Parental, Family, and Family Marital Status Nondiscrimination

STUDENT PARENTAL, FAMILY, AND MARITAL STATUS NONDISCRIMINATION

I.          PURPOSE

Students are protected from discrimination on the basis of sex and marital status pursuant to Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and the Minnesota Human Rights Act.  This includes discrimination on the basis of pregnancy.  The purpose of this school district policy is to provide equal educational opportunity for all students and to prohibit discrimination on the grounds of sex, parental, family, or marital status.

II.         GENERAL STATEMENT OF POLICY

1. The school district provides equal educational opportunity for all students, and will not apply any rule concerning a student’s actual or potential parental, family, or marital status which treats students differently on the basis of sex.
2. The school district will not discriminate against any student, or exclude any student from its education program or activity, including any class or extracurricular activity, on the basis of such students’ pregnancy, childbirth, false pregnancy, termination of pregnancy or recovery therefrom, unless the student requests voluntarily to participate in a separate portion of the program or activity of the recipient.
3. The school district will provide reasonable break times and make reasonable efforts to provide clean, private, and secure locations other than a bathroom or toilet stall for students who need to express milk.
4. The school district will ensure that any separate and voluntary instructional program is comparable to that offered to non-pregnant students.
5. It is the responsibility of every school district employee to comply with this policy.
6. The school board has designated a Title IX coordinator.  This employee coordinates the school district’s efforts to comply with and carry out its responsibilities under Title IX.
7. Any student, parent or guardian having questions regarding the application of Title IX and its regulations and/or this policy should discuss them with the Title IX coordinator. 
8. Any reports of unlawful discrimination under this policy will be handled, investigated, and acted upon in the manner specified in Policy 525.