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SHIPMAN-RECOMMENDED POLICY LANGUAGE UPDATES
0521P
COMMUNITY/BOARD OPERATIONS
NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY (COMMUNITY)
It is the policy of the Board of Education that any form of discrimination or harassment on the
basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, age, disability
(including pregnancy), gender identity or expression, 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, as well as the district website. It
is also the policy of the Board of Education to provide for the prompt and equitable resolution
of complaints alleging any discrimination or harassment on the basis of protected
characteristics such as race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national
origin, disability (including pregnancy), gender identity or expression, or veteran status.
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, “veteran” means any person honorably discharged from,
released under honorable conditions from active service in, or released with an other than
honorable discharge based on a qualifying condition from the United States Army, Navy,
Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Air Force and any reserve component thereof, including the
Connecticut National Guard. “Qualifying condition” means (A) a diagnosis of post-traumatic
stress disorder or traumatic brain injury made by an individual licensed to provide health care
services at a United States Department of Veterans Affairs facility, (B) an experience of
military sexual trauma disclosed to an individual licensed to provide health care services at a
United States Department of Veterans Affairs facility, or (C) a determination that sexual
orientation, gender identity or gender expression was more likely than not the primary
reason for an other than honorable discharge, as determined in accordance with Conn. Gen.
Stat. §§ 27-103(c), (d).
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”
NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY - COMMUNITY Page 1 of 3
includes, but is not limited to, wigs, headwraps and hairstyles such as individual braids,
cornrows, locs, twists, Bantu knots, afros and afro puffs.
Any individual wishing to file a complaint regarding discrimination or harassment 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. These regulations accompany Board
Policy 0521P and are available online at www.colchesterct.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, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability, such complaints will be handled in
accordance with other appropriate policies Series 4000 #4118.11P Sex Discrimination & Sexual
Harassment in the Workplace; Policy Series 5000 #5145.5P Sex Discrimination & Sexual
Harassment (Students); Policy Series 4000 #4118.14P Employees & Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 & Title ll of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and Policy
Series 5000 #5145P Students & Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 & Title ll of the
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
Individuals 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
Employees may also file a complaint regarding employment discrimination or harassment with
the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission:
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Boston Area Office
John F. Kennedy Federal Building
475 Government Center
Boston, MA 02203
(800-669-4000)
Individuals 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) (860-541-3400 or Connecticut Toll Free Number 1-800-477-5737)
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Anyone who has questions or concerns about this policy, and/or who may wish to request or
discuss accommodations based on religion, and/or who or would like a copy of the Board’s
complaint procedures or complaint forms related to claims of discrimination, may contact:
Director of Pupil Services and Special Education
380 Norwich Avenue, Colchester, CT 06415, 860.537.3103
Anyone who has questions or concerns about the Board’s policies regarding discrimination or
harassment on the basis of gender/sex, gender identity, or sexual orientation may contact the
Board’s Title IX Coordinator:
Director of Pupil Services and Special Education
380 Norwich Avenue, Colchester, CT 06415, 860.537.3103
Anyone who has questions or concerns about the Board’s policies regarding discrimination or
harassment on the basis of disability, and/or who may wish to request or discuss
accommodations for a disability may contact the Board’s Section 504/ADA Coordinator:
Director of Pupil Services and Special Education
380 Norwich Avenue, Colchester, CT 06415, 860.537.3103
Legal References:
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. § 2000d et seq.
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. § 2000e et seq.
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, 20 U.S.C. § 1681 et seq.
Age Discrimination in Employment Act, 29 U.S.C. § 621
Americans with Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C. § 12101
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. § 794
Connecticut General Statutes § 10-153. Discrimination on basis of marital status
Connecticut General Statutes § 46a-58. Deprivation of Rights
Connecticut Fair Employment Practices Act, Connecticut General Statutes § 46a-60
Connecticut General Statutes § 46a-81a Discrimination on basis of sexual orientation:
Definitions
Connecticut General Statutes § 46a-81c Sexual orientation discrimination: Employment.
ADOPTED: October 12, 1999
REVISION: November 15, 2011
REVISION: May 13, 2014
REVISION: June 13, 2017
REVISION: August 14, 2018
REVISION: June 21, 2021
REVISION: November 9, 2021
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