Civil Rights Compliance

Any person believing that Rockford Public Schools, or any part of the school organization, has inadequately applied the principles and/or regulations of (1) Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, (2) Title IX of the Education Amendment Act of 1972, (3) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, (4) the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, and (5) Title II of the Americans with Disability Act of 1990 may bring forward a complaint, which shall be referred to as a grievance, to one of the local Civil Rights Coordinator (“Coordinator”) at:

District Complaint Procedures

The District’s complaint procedures are outlined in Board of Education policies. If you would like to file a complaint related to civil rights, please refer to the specific policy that matches your concern. If you're unsure which policy applies, our Compliance Officers are available to help guide you to the appropriate information. 

All district policies are available anytime on our district website. 

If requested, a Compliance Officer can also provide a copy of the District’s grievance procedures in accordance with current Board of Education policies. 

In addition, if a student or employee believes they have experienced discrimination based on a disability—under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act or the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)—they have the right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR). You can contact the OCR at:

U.S. Department of Education
Office for Civil Rights – Cleveland Office
1350 Euclid Avenue, Suite 325
Cleveland, OH 44115
Phone: (216) 522-4970
Fax: (216) 522-2573
TDD: (216) 522-4944
Email: OCR.Cleveland@ed.gov
Website: www.ed.gov/ocr

Dissemination of Grievance Procedures

Adopted grievance procedures should be disseminated to students, parents/guardians, employees, organizations, and others to effectively inform them about the processing of grievances.  The information must be provided on a continuing basis through the distribution of written materials and/or through periodic briefings.

Written materials through which grievance procedures may be disseminated include:

• Student/parent-guardian/employee handbooks
• Faculty handbooks
• Newspaper/newsletter articles
• Memoranda
• Bulletins
• Pamphlets/brochures
• School catalogs
• Course offering booklets/curriculum guides
• District website

Periodic briefings on grievance procedures can be done in:

• Regular student/parent-guardian/staff meetings
• Special meetings or assemblies
• Classroom presentations
• Seminars

Maintenance of Grievance Records
The maintenance of grievance records is recommended for the purpose of documenting compliance.  Records should be kept for each grievance filed and, at a minimum, should include:

1. The name of the grievance or complainant and their title or status
2. The date the grievance was filed
3. The specific allegation made and any corrective action requested by the grievant
4. The name of the respondents
5. The levels of processing followed and the resolution, date, and decision-making authority at each level
6. A summary of facts and evidence presented by each party involved
7. A statement of the final resolution and the nature and date(s) of any corrective or remedial action taken

Grievant Complaint Form