• Procedures for Filing Complaints of Discrimination, Sexual Harassment, or Other Forms of Illegal Harassment

       

      1. Any person who believes that she or he has been discriminated against, harassed or placed in a hostile environment, based on actual or perceived identity with regard to race, color, religion, gender, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, political or religious beliefs, nation or ethnic origin, veteran status, or any other distinguishing physical or personality characteristics, by an employee, volunteer, agent or student of the School District should within sixty (60) days of the alleged occurrence file a written or oral complaint.

      The complaint should:

      a. set forth a description of the alleged discriminatory actions/harassment,

      b. include the time frame in which the alleged discrimination occurred, the person or persons involved in the alleged discriminatory actions, and any witnesses or other evidence relevant to the allegations in the complaint.  

      2. The complaint should be filed with the Executive Director, Office of Equity and Inclusion/Professional Standards (OEI/OPS).

      a. If the complaint is against the District’s Executive Director of the OEI/OPS, the Superintendent, or another member of the School Board, the complaint may be filed with the Office of General Counsel. Please see below.

      3. An investigation will be conducted by the OEI/OPS within thirty (30) days, or by the General Counsel within thirty (30) days of the complaint is against the Executive Director of the OEI/OPS.

      4. The investigative report will be forwarded to the Superintendent. Complainant and Respondent shall be notified in writing of the outcome of the investigation.

      5. The Complainant or Respondent may request a review of the finding by the Executive Director of the OEI/OPS or General Counsel by the Superintendent within ten (10) days of receipt of this notice. The Complainant shall provide a written statement detailing facts in support of his or her disagreement with the determination. The Superintendent shall within ten (10) days of receipt of the notice make a final determination as to whether there is reasonable cause to believe a discriminatory practice occurred.

      6. If a review by the Superintendent is not timely requested, the Executive Director of the OEI/OPS or General Counsel’s determination of no reasonable cause shall be final.

      Complaints against School Board Members or against the Superintendent

      Complaints against School Board members or the Superintendent shall be filed with General Counsel. General Counsel will within twenty (20) days appoint an outside, independent investigator to conduct an investigation and make a recommendation as to whether a discriminatory practice has occurred. It is recommended, but not mandatory, that the investigator be an attorney familiar with federal and state law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of a protected status.

      ELECTRONIC COMPLAINT FORM

      FILLABLE COMPLAINT FORM

    • Contact:
      Tameiko A. Grant, JD, PhD
      Executive Director
      Office of Equity and Inclusion/Professional Standards
      Duval County Public Schools
      1701 Prudential Drive, 5th Floor
      Jacksonville, FL 32207-8182

      Phone: (904) 390-2181
      Fax: (904) 390-2468
      grantt1@duvalschools.org