Notice of Non-Discrimination on the Basis of Sex
In compliance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX), Tulsa School of Arts and Sciences does not discriminate on the basis of gender, which includes sex and gender identity or expression, or sexual orientation in its education programs or activities.
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and certain other federal and state laws, prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex in employment, as well as in all education and athletic programs and activities operated by Tulsa School of Arts and Sciences (both on and off campus). The protection against discrimination includes sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, and gender based dating and domestic violence and stalking.
Title IX protects students, employees, applicants for employment, and other persons from all forms of sex discrimination, including discrimination based on gender identity or failure to conform to stereotypical notions of masculinity or femininity.
All students (as well as other persons) are protected by Title IX regardless of their sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, race, or national origin-in all aspects of the educational programs and activities offered by Tulsa School of Arts and Sciences.
As part of its obligations under Title IX, Tulsa School of Arts and Sciences designates the following Title IX coordinator:
Dr. Liesa SmithHead of SchoolTulsa School of Arts and Sciences1202 W Easton St, Tulsa, OK 74127(918) 828-7727[lsmith@tsas.org](mailto: lsmith@tsas.org)
In effort to comply with and carry out the responsibilities under Title IX this shall serve as an annual notice to all students and employees of Tulsa School of Arts and Sciences.
The essence of Title IX is that Tulsa School of Arts and Sciences may not exclude, separate, deny benefits to, or otherwise treat differently any person on the basis of sex unless expressly authorized to do so under Title IX or the USDE’s implementing regulations.
If you have any questions, please contact the Title IX coordinator at the aforementioned address.
Civil Rights Complaint Procedures
Tulsa School of Arts and Sciences complies with the Civil Rights Laws (Titles VI and Vil of the CivilRights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Title Il of the Americans withDisabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and Section 504 of the RehabilitationAct of 1973) in assuring the students, parents, patrons, and employees of the School that theSchool does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, disability, religion, orage. The Superintendent is designated by the Board to coordinate the School’s efforts to complywith this assurance.
Definitions
**A.**Compliance Officer: An employee designated by the Superintendent to coordinatecompliance efforts with the Civil Rights Laws listed above and to investigate complaints.The Compliance Officer is designated as the Superintendent/Executive Director, Mr.Jonathan Townsend.
**B.**Complaint: A written complaint alleging that a policy, procedure, or practice of the Schooldiscriminates on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, or disability,
**C.**Day means a working day; the calculation of days in processing a complaint shallexclude Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays.
**D.**Complainant: A student, an employee, or any other person who submits a complaintalleging discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, ordisability.
**E.**Respondent: The person alleged to be responsible for the violation alleged in thecomplaint. The term may be used to designate persons with responsibility for a particularaction or those persons with supervisory responsibility for procedures and policies inthose areas covered in the complaint.Pre-filing Procedures: Prior to the filing of a written complaint, the Complainant is encouraged tovisit with the Compliance Officer and to make a reasonable effort to informally resolve theproblem or complaint.
Procedures for Filing Complaint
**A.**If the Complainant desires to proceed with a Complaint, then, within thirty (30) days ofan alleged violation, the Complainant shall submit a written and signed Complaint to theCompliance Officer. The Complaint shall, at a minimum, state the Complainant’s name, thenature of the alleged violation, the date of the alleged violation, the names of personsresponsible, any witnesses, and the requested action or relief sought.
**B.**In addition to taking action with respect to a written complaint, the Compliance Officermay investigate allegations of discrimination without a written complaint according to theprocedures set forth herein whenever the Compliance Officer deems such action to beappropriate.
**C.**Within ten (10) days of receiving the Complaint, the Compliance Officer shall notify theRespondent of the Complaint.
**D.**Within ten (10) days of notification, the Respondent shall submit to the Compliance Officera written answer or response which shall confirm or deny the facts upon which theallegation is based, indicate acceptance or rejection of the Complainant’s requestedaction, and/or outline alternatives. The respondent may also identify witnesses whoshould be contacted to provide input during the investigation.
**E.**Within (10) days of receiving the Respondent’s answer, the Compliance Officer shall initiatean appropriate investigation which may include, but is not limited to, interviewing both theComplainant and the Respondent and any witnesses identified by either party, identifyingany documents or tangible evidence supporting or opposing the Complaint, andundertaking any further investigation deemed appropriate by the Compliance Officer. Theinvestigation should be concluded within thirty (30) days but the Compliance Officer mayextend the period of time for an investigation by notifying the Complainant and theRespondent.
**F.**Within ten (10) days after completion of the investigation, the Compliance Officer shallrender a written decision and shall provide a copy of the written decision to both theComplainant and the respondent. The written decision, shall be a summary reportcontaining a synopsis of the evidence and findings of fact as well as the conclusionregarding the Complaint. Additionally, if the Compliance Officer determines that theallegations of the Complaint are substantiated, the decision shall be provided to theappropriate supervisor or administrator to take appropriate disciplinary action.
**G.**Within ten (10) days of receipt of the Compliance Officer’s decision, if either theComplainant or the Respondent is not satisfied with the decision of the ComplianceOfficer, either may submit a written request to the Compliance Officer for a review bythe Board
**H.**Within ten (10) days of receiving a request for a review by the Board, the ComplianceOfficer shall notify the Board of the request, shall place an agenda item for a review of theComplaint on the next regularly scheduled Board meeting, and shall notify theComplainant and the Respondent of the date of the Board’s review.
**I.**The review by the Board shall involve a review of all documents submitted to theCompliance Officer and, if the Board desires, a statement from the Complainant or theRespondent or the representatives of either the Complainant or the Respondent. TheBoard shall render a decision which either modifies, affirms, or reverses the decision ofthe Compliance Officer.
**J.**Within ten (10) days of conducting the review, the Board or the Board’s designee shallprovide the Complainant and the Respondent with written notice of the Board’s decision onthe Complaint. The Board’s decision shall be the “final” action at the level of TSAS.
**K.**Remedy may be sought with the Office of Civil Rights within the U.S. Department ofEducation, within 180 days of the last act of the alleged discrimination.
Notes
**Extension of Time:**Except as otherwise provided, any time limits established by theseprocedures may be extended by mutual consent of the parties involved.
**Confidentiality of Records:**All records, complaints, notes, documents, and statements madeduring or relating to allegations of discrimination shall be maintained on a confidential basis bythe Compliance Officer, and no information concerning any Complaint shall be documented in anemployee’s personnel file. However, in the event official proceedings relating to such allegationsare initiated by a party or the School, such records may become public in accordance with law.Information pertaining