EO / AA

If an employee or student feels they have been the subject of discrimination, it should be reported immediately to the Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Officer, Roseanne Ansell. If a faculty or staff member is informed by a student of a situation that could possibly be considered discrimination, the employee has a duty to inform the Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Officer of the situation. The EO/AA Officer will take prompt action to investigate the complaint.

Reporting

• The Shrewsbury Borough Board of Education encourages any person who believes that he or she has been subjected to discrimination to immediately report the incident to the Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Officer. In no case will a complainant be required to report such behavior to the person accused of the misconduct.
• If a supervisor receives a complaint they shall immediately notify the Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Officer. Failure to immediately notify the Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Officer is a violation of this procedure.

Complaint Investigation

1. In order to initiate the investigation process, the complainant should complete a complaint form with the details of the conduct that is the subject of the complaint. While an investigation may begin on the basis of an oral complaint, the complainant is strongly encouraged to file a written complaint. The Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Officer will investigate all complaints. If the complaint is not in writing, the Officer should prepare a statement of what he or she understands the complaint to be and seek to obtain verification of the complaint from the complainant.
2. As part of the investigation process, the accused individual will be provided with a copy of the complaint and allowed a reasonable time to respond in writing.
3. Any persons thought to have information relevant to the complaint shall be interviewed and such interviews shall be appropriately documented. Other acceptable methods for gathering information include but are not limited to visual inspection of relevant materials and follow-up interviews, as necessary.
4. The investigation of a complaint will be concluded as soon as possible after receipt of the complaint. Investigations exceeding 60 days, a justification for the delay shall be presented to the Director of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action for review. The complainant, the accused individual, and the supervisor will be provided an update on the progress of the investigation after the review.
5. Upon completion of the investigation, the Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Office representative will prepare a written report of the investigation that includes findings and recommendations. The report shall be submitted to the Superintendent of Schools as appropriate for disposition, resolution, or appropriate discipline. EOAA will then document the resolution and/or disciplinary action, if any, and place the follow-up report in the case file.
6. Appeals regarding disposition of complaints filed under this policy shall be submitted to the Superintendent.

Confidentiality

Confidentiality shall be maintained to the greatest extent possible within the law and the requirements for conducting appropriate investigations.