FILE: GAAA
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYMENT
The Rapides Parish School Board declares as policy that all applicants for admission and employment, students, parents, or legal guardians of students, or employees, sources of referral of applicants and employment, and any and all entities having business with the school district are hereby notified that this school district does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, natural, protective, or cultural hairstyle, gender, age, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, religion or veteran status in admission or access to, or treatment or employment in, its programs and activities including any notices required by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 or Part 106 of Title 34 of the United States Code of Federal Regulations. The School Board pledges to protect qualified applicants and employees with disabilities from discrimination in hiring, promotion, discharge, pay, job training, fringe benefits, classification, referral, and other aspects of employment on the basis of disability. The School Board shall also attempt to provide qualified applicants and employees with disabilities with reasonable accommodations that do not impose undue hardship.
The Superintendent and/or his/her designee shall investigate any and all complaints that may be brought against the School Board or any individual school in the school district in regard to any alleged discriminatory action for appropriate treatment by the Superintendent and/or the School Board.
All employees shall be responsible for complying with this policy. Inquiries, concerns, or complaints related to any form of harassment or discrimination should be immediately reported to the immediate supervisor who, in turn, shall report the incident to the Superintendent and/or his/her designee. If the supervisor is the alleged harasser or discriminator, or the employee does not wish to report the matter to his/her supervisor, the employee may submit the complaint directly to the Superintendent or his/her designee for appropriate inquiry including, when appropriate, investigation. Except for complaints of sexual harassment of students, employees, and applicants, the investigation shall proceed in accordance with policy GAMC, Investigations. Further, the School Board prohibits retaliation against any individual for making a complaint under this policy or participating in the investigation of any such complaint.
Specifically, the following personnel employment practices are prohibited:
Tests - Administration of any test or other criterion which has a disproportionately adverse effect on persons on the basis of gender unless it is a valid predictor of job success and alternative tests or criterion are unavailable;
Recruitment - Recruitment of employees from entities which furnish as applicants only or predominantly members of one gender, if such action has the effect of discriminating on the basis of gender;
Compensation - Establishment of rates of pay on the basis of gender;
Job Classification - Classification of jobs as being for males or females, unless gender is a bona fide occupational qualification for the particular job in question;
Fringe Benefits - Provision of fringe benefits on basis of gender; all fringe benefit plans must treat males and females equally;
Marital and Parental Status - Any action based on marital or parental status; pregnancies are considered temporary disabilities within the policy for leave of absence without pay for job-related purposes. No inquiry shall be made by the school district in job applications as to the marital status of an applicant, including whether such applicant is "Miss or Mrs." But, inquiry may be made as to the gender of a job applicant for employment if made of all applicants and is not a basis for discrimination;
Employment Activities - Any expression of preference, limitation, or specification based on gender, unless gender is a bona fide occupational qualification for the particular job in question.
PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
In accordance with federal and state statutes addressing nondiscrimination of disabled persons, namely Section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Rapides Parish School Board attests that no qualified person with a disability shall, solely by reason of a disability, be denied the benefits of, be excluded from participation in, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any program or activity; nor shall a qualified person with a disability be subjected to discrimination in employment.
Revised: August 4, 2020
Revised: October 4, 2022
Ref: U.S. Constitution, Amend. XIV, Sec. 1
20 USC 1681 (Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972)
29 USC 621 (Age Discrimination in Employment)
29 USC 623 (Age Discrimination Act of 1967)
29 USC 631 (Age Limits)
29 USC 701 et seq. (Vocational Rehabilitation and Other Rehabilitation Services)
29 USC 705 (Rehabilitation Act of 1972)
29 USC 794 (Nondiscrimination under Federal Grants)
42 USC 2000d (1964 Civil Rights Act)
42 USC 12101 (Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990)
34 CFR 106 et seq. (Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex in Education Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance)
Constitution of Louisiana, Art. I, Sec. 3, Art. X, Sec. 10
La. Rev. Stat. Ann. ยงยง17:111, 23:301, 23:302, 23:303, 23:311, 23:312, 23:314, 23:322, 23:323, 23:324, 23:332, 23:334, 23:341, 23:342, 23:352, 23:368
Griggs v. Duke Power Company, 91 S.Ct. 849 (1979)
Singleton v. Jackson Municipal Separate School District, 419 F.2d 1211 (5th Cir. 1979)
Board minutes 2-06-02, 3-07-06, 8-4-20, 10-4-22
Rapides Parish School Board