FEDERAL EDUCATIONAL EQUITY COMPLIANCE
Los Encinos School’s Educational Equity Compliance Office (LESEECO) is overseen by Asst. Head of School, Jonathan Beckmann, and serves as the School’s office for supporting students’ civil rights. The LESEECO has school-wide responsibilities to ensure compliance with applicable federal and state laws and regulations governing educational programs so that all students and community members are treated equitably in the School’s programs and activities and are provided a safe, secure environment that is free from discrimination, harassment, intimidation, and/or bullying including, but not limited to, all aspects of Section 504, Title VI and Title IX compliance.
It is the law and School policy to afford equal rights and opportunities to all persons to attend school and participate in the school’s programs and activities, regardless of actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender or sex (including gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and pregnancy-related medical conditions), race or ethnicity, ethnic group identification, ancestry, nationality, national origin, religion, color, mental or physical disability, age, immigration status, or on the basis of a person’s association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics, or any other basis protected by federal, state or local law, ordinance, or regulation in any program or activity it conducts.
SECTION 504 AND INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination/harassment on the basis of disability in any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. The School has specific responsibilities related to the provision of a “free appropriate education” (FAE) to school age individuals with disabilities under Section 504 and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
To meet the criteria for Section 504 protections, a child must:
• Have a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities;
• Have a record of such impairment; or
• Be regarded as having such an impairment.
As a result of the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA) there is a broader application of the definition of disability under the ADA and Section 504. The new law eliminated the consideration of ameliorative effects of mitigating measures when determining whether a student has a disability, though they remain relevant when evaluating students’ needs for accommodations/services. This means more students may be eligible for Section 504 nondiscrimination protections whether or not they currently need Section 504 plan accommodations/services.
To reach the School’s Section 504 Coordinator, contact Jonathan Beckmann at (818) 990-1006.
TITLE IX – SEX BASED NONDISCRIMINATION STATUTE
Each student and employee has a right to learn and work in an environment that is free from unlawful discrimination. No School student or employee shall be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subject to harassment or other discrimination in any academic, extracurricular, research, occupational training, or other program or activity on the basis of actual or perceived sex, sexual orientation, gender, or gender identity or expression.
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is one of several federal and state anti-discrimination laws that ensure equality in education. Title IX prohibits discrimination, harassment, exclusion, denial, limitation or separation based on sex or gender. Title IX applies to both male and female students in any educational institution receiving federal funding.
Pregnant students and teen parents have a right to equal education, full participation, and to enroll in any school or program for which they would otherwise qualify at any stage of the pregnancy. They have the right to remain in their regular or current school program, including elementary or secondary schools, honors and magnet programs, special education and non-public school placements, alternative/options programs, migrant education, free and reduced lunch programs and services for English Learners, and any others for which they are otherwise qualified. This would also include participation in the following: graduation, awards, ceremonies; field trips; student clubs, councils, after-school activities, and any other school-related programs. Students cannot legally be expelled, suspended, or otherwise excluded from, or required to participate in school programs solely on the basis of their pregnancy-related conditions, or marital or parental status.
California Education Code Sections 200 through 282 prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, gender, and gender identity or gender expression. Students have the right to fair and equitable treatment and shall not be discriminated against based on sex. Students have the right to be provided with an equitable opportunity to participate in all academic extracurricular activities, including athletics. The law requires that every school district or institution have a Title IX/Bullying Complaint Manager to whom concerns or complaints regarding sex discrimination can be made.
Complaint Process
Students or parents/guardians should report their verbal or written Title IX complaint to Jonathan Beckmann or Assistant Head of School within six months from the date the alleged incident occurred or first obtained knowledge. Complainants have a right to a timely and informal resolution at the school site.
What is bullying and/or harassment?
Click here to open a new page that defines harassment and bullying.
TITLE VI – RACE, COLOR, & NATIONAL ORIGIN NONDISCRIMINATION STATUTE
Title VI is a federal law that protects persons from discrimination based on their race, color or national origin in any program or activity that receives federal financial assistance.
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 says that “No person…shall, on the grounds of race or ethnicity, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance from the U.S. Department of Education.”
There are many possible forms of illegal discrimination based on race or ethnicity, color or national origin which limit the opportunities of students to gain equal access to the School’s programs, activities, and services.
Complaint Process
Students/parents/guardians can report their verbal or written Title VI complaint to Jonathan Beckmann, Asst. Head of School, within six months from the date the incident occurred or when knowledge of the complaint was first obtained. Complainants have the right to a timely and informal resolution at the School site.
FOR ASSISTANCE:
Jonathan Beckmann
Los Encinos School
818-990-1006