SBCSC Policies

It is the policy of the South Bend Community School Corporation not to discriminate on the basis of religion, race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, genetic information, sexual orientation, or gender identity in its programs, activities, or employment. Further, it is the policy of the School Corporation to provide an equal opportunity for all students, regardless of race, color, creed, disability, religion, gender, ancestry, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, place of residence within the boundaries of the Corporation, or social or economic background, to learn through the curriculum offered in this Corporation. It is also the policy of the School Corporation to provide equal access to the Boy Scouts of America and other designated youth groups. The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination and anti-harassment policies:

COMPLIANCE COORDINATORS

	Name	Phone	Department	Email
ADA Coordinators Students & Employees	Tonia Brewer Kendra Key	393 - 6119 393-6177	Director of Exceptional Learners General Counsel/ Chief Compliance Officer	tbrewer@sb.school kkey@sb.school
Adult Basic Education	Jennie Gorski	393-5800	Supervisor of Adult Education	jgorski@sb.school
Age Discrimination Compliance Officer	Kendra Key	393-6177	General Counsel/ Chief Compliance Officer	kkey@sb.school
HIPAA	Kendra Key	393-6177	General Counsel/ Chief Compliance Officer	kkey@sb.school
Homeless Liaison	Deb Martin	393-6053	Director of Student Learning & Title I	dmartin@sb.school
Section 504 Coordinator	Stephanie Steward-Bridges	393-6119	Director of African American, Student Parent Services	ssteward-bridges@sb.school
Sexual Harassment Coordinators Students & Employees	Kendra Key	393-6002 393-6177	General Counsel/ Chief Compliance Officer	kkey@sb.school
Special Needs Coordinators	Julia Cordova-Gurulé Tonia Brewer	393-6007 393-6119	Director of Bilingual Services Director of Exceptional Learners	jcordovagurule@sb.school tbrewer@sb.school
Title VI Coordinator	TBA	393-6043	TBA
Title IX Coordinator Students, Employees & Volunteers	Kendra Key	393-6177	General Counsel/ Chief Compliance Officer	kkey@sb.school

 

Information about grievance processes may be obtained by contacting the receptionist at the Administration Building, 737 Beale St., South Bend, IN 46616; phone 574-393-6000. Inquiries may also be addressed to the United States Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights at 500 W. Madison Street, Suite 1475, Chicago, IL 60661-4544.

LEGAL AUTHORITY: Indiana Civil Rights Act, Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Equal Pay Act of 1973, Title IX (1972 Education Amendments), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title I and II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1991, South Bend Ord. 10154-2 § III, 2-127-1, and Education Policy #2260.

Technology including, but not limited to, personal communication devices (PCDs) intended and actually used for instructional purposes (e.g., taking notes, recording classroom lectures, writing papers) will be permitted in classes, as approved by the classroom teacher. Use of PCDs, except those approved by a teacher or administrator, at any other time is prohibited and they must be powered completely off (i.e., not just placed into vibrate or silent mode) and stored out of sight.

For purposes of this policy, "personal communication device" includes computers, tablets (e.g., iPads and similar devices), electronic readers ("e-readers"; e.g., Kindles and similar devices), cell phones (e.g., mobile/cellular telephones, smartphones (e.g., BlackBerry, iPhone, Android devices, Windows Mobile devices, etc.), and/or other web-enabled devices of any type. Students may not use PCDs on school property or at a school-sponsored activity to access and/or view Internet web sites that are otherwise blocked to students at school.

Students may use PCDs while riding to and from school on a school bus or other Board-provided vehicles or on a school bus or Board-provided vehicle during school-sponsored activities, at the discretion of the bus driver, classroom teacher, or sponsor/advisor/coach or any teacher there in an official capacity. Distracting behavior that creates an unsafe environment will not be tolerated.

Except as authorized by a teacher, administrator or IEP team, students are prohibited from using PCDs during the school day, including while off-campus on a field trip, to capture, record and/or transmit the words or sounds (i.e., audio) and/or images (i.e., pictures/video) of any student, staff member or other person. Using a PCD to capture, record and/or transmit audio and/or pictures/video of an individual without proper consent is considered an invasion of privacy and is not permitted. Students who violate this provision and/or use a PCD to violate the privacy rights of another person may have their PCD confiscated and held until the end of the school day or a parent/guardian picks it up, and may be directed to delete the audio and/or picture/video file while the parent/guardian is present. If the violation involves potentially illegal activity, the confiscated-PCD may be turned over to law enforcement.

PCDs, including but not limited to those with cameras, may not be activated or utilized at any time in any school situation where a reasonable expectation of personal privacy exists. These locations and circumstances include, but are not limited to, classrooms, gymnasiums, locker rooms, shower facilities, rest/bathrooms, and any other areas where students or others may change clothes or be in any stage or degree of disrobing or changing clothes. The Superintendent and building principals are authorized to determine other specific locations and situations where use of a PCD is absolutely prohibited.

Students shall have no expectation of privacy with respect to their use of PCDs on school premises/property.

Students may not use a PCD in any way that might reasonably create in the mind of another person an impression of being threatened, humiliated, harassed, embarrassed or intimidated. See Policy 5517.01 – Bullying and Other Forms of Aggressive Behavior. In particular, students are prohibited from using PCDs to: (1) transmit material that is threatening, obscene, disruptive, or sexually explicit or that can be construed as harassment or disparagement of others based upon their race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, disability, age, religion, ancestry, or political beliefs; and (2) engage in "sexting" - i.e., sending, receiving, sharing, viewing, or possessing pictures, text messages, e-mails or other materials of a sexual nature in electronic or any other form. Violation of these prohibitions shall result in disciplinary action. Furthermore, such actions will be reported to local law enforcement and child services as required by law.

Students are also prohibited from using a PCD to capture, record, and/or transmit test information or any other information in a manner constituting fraud, theft, cheating, or academic dishonesty. Likewise, students are prohibited from using PCDs to receive such information.

Possession of a PCD by a student at school during school hours and/or during extra-curricular activities is a privilege that may be forfeited by any student who fails to abide by the terms of this policy, or otherwise abuses this privilege.

Violations of this policy may result in disciplinary action and/or confiscation of the PCD. The building principal will also refer the matter to law enforcement or child services if the violation involves an illegal activity (e.g., child pornography, sexting). Discipline will be imposed on an escalating scale ranging from a warning to an expulsion based on the number of previous violations and/or the nature of or circumstances surrounding a particular violation. If the PCD is confiscated, it will be released/returned after the student complies with any other disciplinary consequences that are imposed, unless the violation involves potentially illegal activity in which case the PCD may be turned-over to law enforcement. A confiscated device will be marked in a removable manner with the student's name and held in a secure location in the building's central office until it is retrieved by the parent/guardian or turned-over to law enforcement. School officials will not search or otherwise tamper with PCDs in Corporation custody unless they reasonably suspect that the search is required to discover evidence of a violation of the law or other school rules. Any search will be conducted in accordance with Policy 5771 - Search and Seizure. If multiple offenses occur, a student may lose his/her privilege to bring a PCD to school for a designated length of time or on a permanent basis.

A person who discovers a student using a PCD in violation of this policy is required to report the violation to the building principal.

Students are personally and solely responsible for the care and security of their PCDs. The Board assumes no responsibility for theft, loss, or damage to, or misuse or unauthorized use of, PCDs brought onto its property.

To request public records, you must fill out an Access to Public Records Request form (click here for the downloadable form or here for the digital form) and submit to the SBCSC Legal Counsel. Oral requests for records must be converted to the written form. If you have prepared a written request on your own, it can be attached to the SBCSC form, and you should then complete the top portion of the SBCSC form.

Not every request for records can be granted. Some information is not disclosable under law. Also, a public record request means that something must exist -- it does not cover future records, nor is it a means to obtain answers to questions. The South Bend Community School Corporation is not obligated to create a public record to answer your inquiry.
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Steps for Acquiring a Public Record

1. Fill out the Access to Public Records Form.

2. Submit the form to the SBCSC Legal Counsel Office, 737 Beale St., South Bend, IN 46616, either in person or by mail.

3. After your request is submitted:

• You will receive a note from the Legal Counsel acknowledging your request.
• The Legal Department will determine if the records requested are disclosable.
• Not all requests can be granted -- some information is not disclosable under law.
• Document fees are due when the document is picked up (rate of $.10 per page).

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

1. mail:
   U.S. Department of Agriculture
   Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
   1400 Independence Avenue, SW
   Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
2. fax:
   (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
3. email:
   Program.Intake@usda.gov

 

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

We are committed to making all services, including online services, accessible to people of all abilities. We have worked hard to make ADA compliant.

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