Petaluma Junior High School
Home of the Bantams
- Petaluma Junior High School
- Title IX (Harassment & Discrimination Complaint Procedures)
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Petaluma Junior High - Deputy Title IX Coordinators
Phone: 707-778-4724
- Kelly Kriss: kkriss@petk12.org
- Danna Rocca: drocca@petk12.org
Title IX: Prohibiting Sex-Based Discrimination
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Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (“Title IX”) is a federal law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in all educational programs and activities, including athletic programs. No person shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity operated by the District. Title IX protects all participants in the District's educational programs and activities, including students, parents, employees, and job applicants. The District does not discriminate on the basis of sex. Discrimination on the basis of sex can include sexual harassment and sexual violence.
In addition to Title IX, the California Education Code prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in schools. (California Education Code §§ 220-221.1.) Other state and federal laws also prohibit discrimination and ensure equality in education. Please refer to this overview of Petaluma City Schools' Nondiscrimination In District Programs And Activities policies and the following specific policies and procedures regarding sexual harassment:
- BP 0410 Philosophy, Goals, Objectives and Comprehensive Plans (also linked above)
- AR 0410 Philosophy, Goals, Objectives and Comprehensive Plans
- BP 4119.11 Sexual Harassment - Certificated Staff and Job Applicants
- AR 4119.11 Sexual Harassment - Certificated Staff and Job Applicants
- BP 4219.11 Sexual Harassment - Classified Staff and Job Applicants
- AR 4219.11 Sexual Harassment - Classified Staff and Job Applicants
- BP 4319.11 Sexual Harassment - Administrative and Supervisory Staff
- AR 4319.11 Sexual Harassment - Administrative and Supervisory Staff
- BP 5145.7 Sexual Harassment - Students
- AR 5145.7 Sexual Harassment - Students
Title IX information provided here applies to every school and site in the District.
Click on the headlines below for more on Title IX
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Title IX Coordinators
The District's Title IX Coordinator oversees compliance with Title IX requirements and promotes sex equity in District programs.
Title IX Coordinator for Students
Esmeralda Sanchez Moseley, Assistant Superintendent, Student Services
esmoseley@petk12.org
(707) 778-4960Title IX Coordinator for Staff and Job Applicants
Matthew Harris, Assistant Superintendent, Human Resources
mharris@petk12.org
(707) 778-4608*You can view a comprehensive list of School Site Deputy Coordinators on this page.*
In addition, the District has designated Deputy Title IX Coordinators for each school site as well as for the following Departments: Food Services/Warehouse, Facilities & Maintenance, and Transportation. You may contact these Deputy Title IX Coordinators (listed below) or the lead Title IX Coordinator (listed above). For school site Deputy Coordinators, visit the Title IX page on your school's website, which can be found under Our School → Title IX or on their homepage.
Deputy Title IX Coordinators: Food Services
Department Phone: (707) 778-4964
Edgar Garcia: egarcia@petk12.org
Lynn Wong: lwong@petk12.orgDeputy Title IX Coordinators: Maintenance & Operations
Department Phone: (707) 778-4636
Jordan Lane: jlane@petk12.org
Yuliana Gonzalez: ygonzalez@petk12.orgDeputy Title IX Coordinators: Transportation
Marcia Short: (707) 778-4821: mshort@petk12.org
Denise Hernandez: (707) 778-4644: dhernandez@petk12.org -
Your Rights Under Title IX
You have the following rights under Title IX, to the extent applicable at the District. You have the right to receive equitable treatment and benefits in the provision of any of the following.
- You have the right to fair and equitable treatment and you shall not be discriminated against based on your sex.
- You have the right to be provided with an equitable opportunity to participate in all academic extracurricular activities, including athletics.
- You have the right to inquire of the athletic director of your school or appropriate District personnel as to the athletic opportunities offered by the school.
- You have the right to receive equitable treatment and benefits in the provision of all of the following related to athletics, if provided by the District:
- Equipment and supplies;
- Scheduling of games and practices;
- Transportation;
- Access to tutoring;
- Coaching;
- Locker rooms;
- Practices and competitive facilities;
- Medical and training facilities and services; and
- Publicity.
- You have the right to have access to a sex/gender equity coordinator, referred to as the Title IX Coordinator (find contact information above), to answer questions regarding sex/gender equity laws.
- You have the right to contact the State Department of Education and the California Interscholastic Federation to access information on sex/gender equity laws.
- You have the right to file a confidential discrimination complaint with the United States Department of Education Office for Civil Rights or the California Department of Education if you believe you have been discriminated against or if you believe you have received unequal treatment on the basis of your sex.
- You have the right to pursue civil remedies if you have been discriminated against.
- You have the right to be protected against retaliation if you file a discrimination complaint.
(The above is from California Education Code § 221.8.)
The District has a responsibility to respond promptly and effectively to sex-based discrimination, including sexual harassment and sexual violence. If the District knows or reasonably should know about sex discrimination, it must take action to eliminate the sex discrimination, prevent its recurrence, and address its effects. The District must resolve complaints of sex discrimination promptly and equitably. Information on filing a complaint alleging sex-based discrimination is below, including contact information for the District's Title IX Coordinators.
For more information specific to anti-discrimination in SCOE employment, please contact the Title IX Coordinator (contact information above).
Accessibility Notice: All of the links below are to external websites and will open in a new window.
Learn more about your rights under Title IX:
- Visit the website of the United States Department of Education Office for Civil Rights at http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/index.html and the webpage on sex discrimination at http://www2.ed.gov/policy/rights/guid/ocr/sex.html.
- Review the United States Department of Education Office for Civil Rights, Know Your Rights documents:
- Title IX prohibits sexual harassment and sexual violence: https://www2.ed.gov/policy/rights/guid/ocr/sex.html
- Title IX requires the District to address sexual violence: https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/know-rights-201404-title-ix.pdf.
- Title IX prohibits discrimination against pregnant or parenting individuals: https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/dcl-know-rights-201306-title-ix.html.
- Visit the website of the California Department of Education Office of Equal Opportunity at http://www.cde.ca.gov/re/di/eo/ and the webpage on Gender Equity/Title IX at http://www.cde.ca.gov/re/di/eo/genequitytitleix.asp.
- Review related District policies and regulations by visiting the links provided in the first section of this page or by contacting the District's Title IX coordinator.
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Filing a Complaint
When: A complaint alleging unlawful discrimination or retaliation must be filed no later than six months from the date the discrimination or retaliation occurred, or six months from when the complainant first learned of the unlawful discrimination. The Superintendent or designee may extend this timeline by up to ninety days for good cause, upon written request by the complainant setting forth the reasons for the extension.
How: A student, parent, guardian, employee, individual, or organization may file a written complaint alleging discrimination, harassment, intimidation, and/or bullying on the basis of a protected characteristic under the District's Uniform Complaint Procedure by sending a complaint to the District's Title IX Coordinator (contact information listed above).
The Uniform Complaint Procedure is available below in both English and Spanish.
Accessibility: If you need assistance putting your complaint in writing, please contact Human Resources at 707-778-4608 or jsutter@petk12.org. You may file a complaint anonymously, but the District's ability to investigate and respond may be limited by a lack of information.
You may also file a discrimination complaint with the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights. For more information, visit http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/complaintintro.html. The electronic complaint form for the Office for Civil Rights is available online here.
Contact the Office for Civil Rights at:
San Francisco Office
Office for Civil Rights
U.S. Department of Education
50 United Nations Plaza
San Francisco, CA 94102
Telephone: (415) 486-5555
Fax: (415) 486-5570; TDD: (800) 877-8339
Email: ocr.sanfrancisco@ed.govFor information about how to file other types of complaints and the procedures for those complaints, please contact the appropriate District's Title IX coordinator.
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How PCS Investigates Complaints
Complaints filed under the District's Uniform Complaint Procedure will be investigated and a decision made within sixty (60) calendar days of the District's receipt, unless the complainant agrees to an extension. The District's compliance officer or designee may interview alleged victims, alleged offenders, and relevant witnesses. The compliance officer may review available records, statements, or notes related to the complaint, including evidence or information received from the parties during the investigation. The compliance officer may visit reasonably accessible locations where discrimination is alleged to have occurred. As appropriate, the District's compliance officer periodically will inform the parties of the status of the investigation. The complainant will be notified when a decision is made. Complaints that are not filed under the District's Uniform Complaint Procedure will be investigated and decided pursuant to the applicable procedure.
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What Happens After the Investigation
For complaints filed under the Uniform Complaint Procedure, the compliance officer will prepare and send a final written decision to the complainant and respondent, if any, within sixty (60) calendar days of the District's receipt of the complaint (unless the complainant agrees to an extension).
If the complainant or respondent is not satisfied with the decision, either the complainant or respondent may, within five business days, file the complaint in writing with the Board. The Board may consider the matter at a Board meeting or decide not to hear the complaint, in which case the compliance officer’s decision shall be final.
The complainant or respondent may appeal the District's decision within fifteen calendar days to the California Department of Education. The appeal must specify the reason for the appeal and whether the District's facts are incorrect and/or the law is misapplied. The appeal must include a copy of the original complaint to the District and a copy of the District's decision. For more information, visit the California Department of Education’s webpage on Uniform Complaint Procedures.
For complaints alleging unlawful discrimination based on state law, the complainant may pursue available civil law remedies, including seeking assistance from mediation centers or public/private interest attorneys, sixty calendar days after filing an appeal with the California Department of Education. (California Education Code § 262.3.) Note that this sixty-day moratorium does not apply to complaints seeking injunctive relief in state courts or to discrimination complaints based on federal law. (California Education Code § 262.3.)
Complaints may also be filed with the United States Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, within 180 days of the alleged discrimination. For contact information, see the section above on “Filing a Complaint”. For more information, visit http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/complaintintro.html.
If the compliance officer finds that a complaint has merit, the District will take appropriate corrective action.
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Title IX Staff Training Materials
Petaluma City Schools Title IX Coordinators are trained through legal agencies. The following training has been attended for 2021-22:
9/21/21: Title IX Part I - Coordinator Essentials
Hosted by the School and College Legal Services of California
Presented by Kaitlyn Schwendeman, Assistant General Counsel and Leah M. Smith, Associate General Counsel
Materials: Title IX Part I - Coordinator Essentials BookletPetaluma City Schools Title IX Coordinators are trained through legal agencies. The following training has been attended for 2020-21:
9/2/20: New Title IX Regulations: Nuts & Bolts for Implementation (K-12/CCD)
Hosted by the School and College Legal Services of California
Presented by Monica D. Batanero, Senior Associate General Counsel
Materials: New Title IX Regulations PDF
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Learn More
For more information regarding Title IX, please contact the appropriate Title IX Coordinator:
Title IX Coordinator for Students
Maite Iturri, Assistant Superintendent, Student Services
miturri@petk12.org
(707) 778-4960Title IX Coordinator for Staff and Job Applicants
Jason Sutter, Assistant Superintendent, Human Resources
jsutter@petk12.org
(707) 778-4608