5000NON-DISCRIMINATION (STUDENTS)
NON-DISCRIMINATION (STUDENTS)
The Board of Education (the “Board”) complies with all applicable federal, state and local laws prohibiting the exclusion of any person from any of its educational programs or activities, or the denial to any person of the benefits of any of its educational programs or activities because of race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, alienage, ancestry, disability, pregnancy, gender identity or expression, or veteran status, subject to the conditions and limitations established by law.
It is the policy of the Board that any form of discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, alienage, ancestry, disability, pregnancy, gender identity or expression, or veteran status, or any other basis prohibited by state or federal law is prohibited, whether by students, Board employees or third parties subject to the control of the Board. The Board’s prohibition of discrimination or harassment in its educational programs or activities expressly extends to academic, nonacademic and extracurricular activities, including athletics. It is also the policy of the Board to provide for the prompt and equitable resolution of complaints alleging any discrimination on the basis of protected characteristics such as race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, alienage, ancestry, disability, pregnancy, gender identity or expression, or veteran status.
For the purposes of this policy, “veteran” means any person honorably discharged from, or released under honorable conditions from active service in, the United States Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and Air Force and any reserve component thereof, including the Connecticut National Guard.
For the purposes of this policy, “gender identity or expression” means a person’s gender-related identity, appearance or behavior, whether or not that gender-related identity, appearance or behavior is different from that traditionally associated with the person’s physiology or assigned sex at birth, which gender-related identity can be shown by providing evidence including, but not limited to, medical history, care or treatment of the gender-related identity, consistent and uniform assertion of the gender-related identity or any other evidence that the gender-related identity is sincerely held, part of a person's core identity or not being asserted for an improper purpose.
For the purposes of this policy, “race” is inclusive of ethnic traits historically associated with race, including but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles. “Protective hairstyles” includes, but is not limited to, wigs, headwraps and hairstyles such as individual braids, cornrows, locs, twists, Bantu knots, afros and afro puffs.
Any student and/or parent/guardian wishing to file a complaint regarding discrimination may obtain a copy of the Board’s complaint procedures and complaint form, which are included in the Board’s Administrative Regulations Regarding Non-Discrimination/Students. These regulations accompany Board Policy # 5000 for Students/Non-Discrimination Policy and are available online at www.meridenK12.org or upon request from the main office of any district school.
If a complaint involves allegations of discrimination or harassment based on reasons such as gender/sex, disability, or pregnancy, such complaints will be handled under other appropriate policies (e.g., Policy # 5020, Students/Sex Discrimination and Harassment; and Harassment: Policy # 5010, Section 504/ADA).
Any student and/or parent/guardian also may file a complaint with the Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education (“OCR”):
Office for Civil Rights, Boston Office
U.S. Department of Education
8th Floor
5 Post Office Square
Boston, MA 02109- 3921
(617-289-0111)
http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/howto.html
Any student and/or parent/guardian may also file a complaint with the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities:
Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities
450 Columbus Blvd.
Hartford, CT 06103-1835
(800-477-5737)
Anyone who has questions or concerns about this policy, or would like a copy of the Board’s complaint procedures or complaint forms related to claims of discrimination, may contact:
Office of the Assistant Superintendent, Meriden Public Schools, 22 Liberty Street, Meriden, CT 06450; Telephone: 203-630-4173
Anyone who has questions or concerns about the Board’s policies regarding discrimination on the basis of gender/sex may contact the Board’s Title IX Coordinator:
Office of the Assistant Superintendent, Meriden Public Schools, 22 Liberty Street, Meriden, CT 06450; Telephone: 203-630-4173
Anyone who has questions or concerns about the Board’s policies regarding discrimination on the basis of disability may contact the Board’s Section 504/ADA Coordinator:
Office of the Assistant Superintendent, Meriden Public Schools, 22 Liberty Street, Meriden, CT 06450; Telephone: 203-630-4173
Legal References:
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, 20 U.S.C. § 1681, et seq.
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. § 2000d, et seq.
Americans with Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C. § 12101, et seq.
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. § 794, et seq.
Connecticut General Statutes § 1-1n, “Gender Identity or Expression” defined
Connecticut General Statutes § 10-15c
Connecticut General Statutes § 46a-51, Definitions
Connecticut General Statutes § 46a-58, Deprivation of rights
Connecticut General Statutes § 46a-81a, et seq.
ADOPTED: April 28, 1981
Amended: December 18, 2018
Amended: November 19, 2019
Amended: April 20, 2021
Previous Policy Number AD-R (3)
Cross-referenced: Policy 5020, Students/Sex Discrimination and Harassment
Policy 5010, Section 504/ADA
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