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Title IX/Harassment Resources

Nondiscrimination Commitment

Sunset Ridge School District 29 is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination and equal opportunity in its education programs and activities and employment. The District complies with all laws and applicable regulations that prohibit discrimination, harassment, and retaliation by and in the District, including the following:

1.     Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act

2.     Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972

3.     Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973

4.     Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, 42 U.S.C. § 2000d et seq.

5.     Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, 42 U.S.C. § 2000e et seq.

6.     The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967

7.     The State Officials and Employees Ethics Act

8.     The Illinois Human Rights Act

9.     Sections 10-22.5, 27-1, and 20.60 of the School Code and 23 Illinois Administrative Code Part 200

10.  Victims' Economic Security and Safety Act, 820 ILCS 108/

11.  Illinois Equal Pay Act of 2003, 820 ILCS 112/

12.  Illinois Genetic Information Privacy Act (GINA), 410 ILCS 513/ and Title II of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA), 42 U.S.C. § 2000ff et seq.

13.  Employee Credit Privacy Act, 820 ILCS 70/

The District will use the Board of Education Policies 250 (Uniform Grievance Procedure), 265 (Title IX Grievance), and 501 (Workplace Harassment) to guide the processing of complaints based on alleged violations of law or Board policy. The District also utilizes the associated administrative procedure (265: Title IX Grievance Procedure) to process complaints of sexual harassment.

For students, this includes the requirement that no person, including a School District employee or agent, or student, shall harass, intimidate, or bully a student on the basis of actual or perceived: race; color; national origin; military status; unfavorable discharge status from military service; sex; sexual orientation; gender identity; gender-related identity or expression; ancestry; age; religion; physical or mental disability; order of protection status; status of being homeless; actual or potential marital or parental status, including pregnancy; association with a person or group with one or more of the aforementioned actual or perceived characteristics; or any other distinguishing characteristic.

This also includes the requirement that no District employees shall engage in harassment or abusive conduct on the basis of an individual’s actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, age, citizenship status, disability, pregnancy, marital status, order of protection status, military status, or unfavorable discharge from military service, nor shall they engage in harassment or abusive conduct on the basis of an individual’s other protected status identified in Board policy 500, Equal Employment Opportunity and Minority Recruitment.

No student, parent/guardian, employee, or other member of the District community will be subjected to retaliation as prohibited under any law or Board policy, including those laws identified above. Retaliation is an adverse act imposed because a person has asserted a right or participated in a process involving the assertion of a right, including reporting a violation of law or Board policy or participating in the grievance processes used to process complaints based on alleged violations of law or Board policy.

Any person who believes any student, employee, or third party or the District generally has engaged in conduct prohibited by the laws cited above or Board policy, including discrimination, harassment, or retaliation, or who has inquiries about the application of the laws cited above or Board policy should contact a District Nondiscrimination/Title IX Coordinator, Nondiscrimination Coordinator, or Complaint Manager using the contact information below:


Uniform Grievance Procedure Complaint Form

Title IX Coordinator

Edward Stange

525 Sunset Ridge Rd. Northfield, IL. 60093

stangee@srd29.org

847.881.9456

The following agencies may also be able to answer inquiries about some of the laws cited above:

U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (OCR)
Chicago Office
JCK Federal Building
230 S. Dearborn Street, 37th Floor
Chicago, IL 60604
Telephone: (312) 730-1560
Facsimile: (312) 730-1576
Email: OCR.Chicago@ed.gov
See Office for Civil Rights

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
Chicago District Office
JCK Federal Building
Chicago, IL 60604
Telephone: (312) 872-9744
Facsimile: 312-588-1260
Email: Info@EEOC.org
See U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)

Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR)
Springfield Office
535 West Jefferson
1stFloor
Intake Unit
Springfield, IL 62702
Telephone: (217) 785-5100
Facsimile: (217) 785-5106
Email: IDHR.webmail@Illinois.gov
See IDHR

More information on the Board policies prohibiting discrimination, harassment, and retaliation can be found in Board policy, including, for example, Board policies 500 (Equal Employment Opportunity and Minority Recruitment), 501 (Workplace Harassment Prohibited ), 700 (Equal Educational Opportunities), 710 (Harassment of Students Prohibited ); 711 (Prevention of and Response to Bullying, Intimidation, and Harassment) More information about how to report discrimination, harassment, or retaliation can be found in Board policies 250 ( Uniform Grievance Procedure ). The Board's policy handbook is available online at Sunset Ridge 29.

All other reports and complaints of discrimination, harassment, retaliation or other violations of law or Board policy will be processed using Board policy 250 ( Uniform Grievance Procedure ).

Title IX Team Members

Edward Stange, Superintendent of Schools

Ivy Sukenik, Assistant Superintendent of Schools/Sunset Ridge School Principal

Thomas Beerheide, Chief School Business Official

Jennifer Kiedaisch, Middlefork School Principal

Stephanie Evans, Director of Student Services

Materials to Train Title IX Team Members

The  District 29 Title IX Coordinators, investigators, decision-makers, and any person who facilitates an informal resolution process (the District's Title IX Team members) participated in updated training to implement the requirement of Title IX. The training was provided by the District’s legal counsel (Franczek) on August 6, 2024.