Riverside School District 96 is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination and equal opportunity in its education programs and activities and employment. The District complies with all laws and applicable regulations that prohibit discrimination, harassment, and retaliation by and in the District, including the following:

1. Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act

2. Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972

3. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973

4. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, 42 U.S.C. § 2000d et seq.

5. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, 42 U.S.C. § 2000e et seq.

6. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 

7. The State Officials and Employees Ethics Act

8. The Illinois Human Rights Act

9. Sections 10-22.5, 27-1, and 20.60 of the School Code and 23 Illinois Administrative Code Part 200

10. Victims’ Economic Security and Safety Act, 820 ILCS 108/

11. Illinois Equal Pay Act of 2003, 820 ILCS 112/

12. Illinois Genetic Information Privacy Act (GINA), 410 ILCS 513/ and Title II of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA), 42 U.S.C. § 2000ff et seq.

13. Employee Credit Privacy Act, 820 ILCS 70/

For students, this includes the requirement that no person, including a District employee, agent, student, or other member of the District community, shall harass, intimidate, or bully a student on the basis of actual or perceived: race; color; national origin; military status; unfavorable discharge status from military service; sex; sexual orientation; gender identity; gender-related identity or expression; ancestry; age; religion; physical or mental disability; order of protection status; status of being homeless; actual or potential marital or parental status, including pregnancy; association with a person or group with one or more of the aforementioned actual or perceived characteristics; or any other distinguishing characteristic identified in Board policy 7:10, Equal Educational Opportunities.

For employees, this includes the requirement that no person, including another District employee, agent, student, or other member of the District community, shall engage in harassment or abusive conduct against an employee on the basis of an individual’s actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, age, citizenship status, disability, pregnancy, marital status, order of protection status, military status, or unfavorable discharge from military service, nor shall they engage in harassment or abusive conduct on the basis of an individual’s other protected status identified in Board policy 5:10, Equal Employment Opportunity and Minority Recruitment.

No student, parent/guardian, employee, or other member of the District community will be subjected to retaliation as prohibited under any law or Board policy, including those laws identified above. Retaliation is an adverse act imposed because a person has asserted a right or participated in a process involving the assertion of a right, including reporting a violation of law or Board policy or participating in the grievance processes used to process complaints based on alleged violations of law or Board policy.

Any person who believes any student, employee, or third party or the District generally has engaged in conduct prohibited by the laws cited above or Board policy, including discrimination, harassment, or retaliation, or who has inquiries about the application of the laws cited above or Board policy should contact a District Nondiscrimination/Title IX Coordinator.