DEKALB COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT
1701 Mountain Industrial Boulevard
Stone Mountain, Georgia 30083-1027
STUDENT DISCRIMINATION COMPLAINT PROCEDURE
The DeKalb County School District provides equal educational opportunities for all students, regardless of their race, color,
religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or age. No student shall be subjected to
discrimination or harassment because of the student’s race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender
identity, disability, or age in any of the District’s educational programs, activities, or practices, including implementation of
the Code of Student Conduct. The School System maintains a complaint procedure that affords students a prompt, fair, and
orderly means of resolving complaints of discrimination, set forth below.
Student’s Name _________________________________________ School ___________________________________ Grade__________
Home Address _____________________________________________ City______________________ State_________ Zip_________
Home Phone ______________________Cellular Phone _______________________ Complaint Type: [ ] Discrimination [ ] Title IX
Please check and circle all applicable categories:
[Check] ( Circle )
[ ] Step 1: Student/ Parent (is seeking/ has sought) to resolve their complaint with the Teacher, Lead Teacher, or Assistant Principal
[ ] Step 2: Student/ Parent (is seeking/ has sought) to resolve their complaint with the Principal
[ ] Step 3: Student/ Parent (is seeking/ has sought) to resolve their complaint with the Area Assistant Superintendent’s Office (If the
Complainant alleges an act of discrimination by the principal or assistant principal, then the complaint process should
begin at Step 3.)
[ ] Step 4: This is an appeal to Step 1, 2, or 3. All of the above steps have been exhausted with no action and/or resolution. Therefore,
this complaint is being appealed to the Office of Internal Affairs for further review.
[ ] Step 4a: This is a Title IX complaint, which should be directly reported to the Title IX Coordinator in the Office of Internal Affairs.
The following procedures apply to formal complaints:
• The Complaint should be filed within thirty (30) calendar days of the alleged action.
• The Complainant should utilize this form to make the initial Complaint and/or appeals of a decision to the next step in the process.
• If possible, include evidence, witnesses, and documentation.
• Response and/or action to the Complaint should be made as soon as practical after the complaint has been submitted.
• Appeals should be made within ten (10) calendar days of receipt of the decision at the previous level.
• The student was provided an opportunity to orally explain his/her written appeal within five (5) working days of the appeal being
received.
• Appeals must be answered within ten (10) working days of the meeting. At Step 4, receipt by the Office of Internal Affairs, as
designee of the Superintendent, commences the final review/ investigation of the allegations.
STUDENT’S STATEMENT OF COMPLAINT
1. State the date of the occurrence of the most recent incident or other matter on which the Complaint is based: _________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Names(s) and/or title(s) of party or parties involved:
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Names(s) of witness(es), if any:_______________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Briefly describe the specific facts or events on which the Complaint is based. Please include names, dates, places, times and other
specifics on attached page(s) if needed._________________________________________________________________________
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5. How are you affected by the alleged violation?___________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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6. What relief are you seeking? _________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Additional Information:
• Time limits may be extended upon mutual consent of both parties.
• All students and school district employees are protected from harassment, reprisal, or retaliation as a result of having filed a
complaint or participating in the process.
• Confidentiality of any information related to all parties involved, should be strictly protected and not disseminated except to those
who have a discernible need to know.
• Nothing contained herein shall prevent the school district from independently investigating suspected cases of discrimination
based on age, sex, race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, or handicap.
• All complaints shall be thoroughly and expeditiously investigated, to the extent necessary, to determine the merits of the
allegations.
I hereby present the following Complaint to the appropriate administrator (Step 1-3), or the Office of Internal Affairs, as
designee of the Superintendent. I understand that this Complaint will be reviewed and investigated in accordance with the
Superintendent’s procedures and the adopted Board of Education’s Complaint Resolution Policies.
______________________________________________________________ _____________________
Student’s Signature Date
______________________________________________________________ _____________________
Parent or Guardian’s Name and Signature Date
Revised and Issued 09/30/2011
Legal References
- O.C.G.A. 20-01-0011 — Advocating for divisive concepts; prohibition on discrimination; practice of tolerance and mutual respect encouraged; complaint resolution policies; inspection of records; waivers prohibited (Lexis)
- O.C.G.A. 20-02-0131 — Objectives and purposes of QBE program (Lexis)
- O.C.G.A. 20-02-0133 — Free public instruction; exceptions; eligibility; procedure and requirements when child in custody of or in a placement or facility of a state agency (Lexis)
- O.C.G.A. 20-03-0065 — No exclusion from University of Georgia for religious beliefs (Lexis)
- 18 USC 1513 — Retaliating against a witness, victim, or an informant
- 20 USC 1400 — Individuals with Disabilities Education Act-findings; purposes
- 20 USC 1401 — Individuals with Disabilities Education Act; Definitions
- 20 USC 1412 — State eligibility-IDEA
- 20 USC 1681 — Title IX-Prohibition against discrimination based on sex
- 20 USC 1701 — Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974-Congressional declaration of policy
- 20 USC 1703 — Denial of equal educational opportunity prohibited
- 20 USC 6301 — Elementary and Secondary Education Act: Statement of Purpose
- 28 CFR 35.136 — Service animals
- 29 CFR 1691.5 — Agency processing of complaints of employment discrimination - ADA
- 29 USC 794 — Nondiscrimination under Federal grants and programs
- 29 USC 794a — Remedies and attorney fees-federal programs
- 34 CFR 100.7 — Title VI - Conduct of investigations
- 34 CFR 104.36 — Sec. 504: Procedural safeguards re: ID, evaluation, placement of persons with disabilities
- 34 CFR 104.37 — Sec. 504: Nonacademic Services
- 34 CFR 104.7 — Section 504 - Designation of responsible employee and adoption of grievance procedures
- 34 CFR 106.8 — Title IX - Designation of coordinator, dissemination of policy, and adoption of grievance procedures
- 42 USC 11431 — Education for Homeless Children and Youths
- 42 USC 12101 — Americans with Disabilities Act - Findings and purpose
- 42 USC 2000d — Civil Rights Act-Prohibition against discrimination in federally assisted programs on basis of race, color, or national origin
- 45 CFR 86.57 — Discrimination based upon marital or parental status prohibited