Title IX Notification

What is Title IX?

Title IX is a federal law that prohibits sex/gender based discrimination, including sexual harassment.  As required by law, the Charter School’s anti-harassment or nondiscrimination policy(s), the student or their parent/guardian, is encouraged to immediately report the incident as follows:

The student may seek either an informal or formal resolution of his or her complaint:

A. Informal

The student or his or her parent may request the Title IX Coordinator to intervene by notifying the alleged offender that the specific offensive behavior(s) will not be tolerated. In such case, the Title IX Coordinator must meet with the alleged offender, take a statement with regard to the allegations, and, if warranted, require that the alleged offender participate in non-disciplinary counseling. The alleged offender, if he or she is a student, shall have the right to have his or her parent present during the meeting with the Title IX Coordinator. The Title IX Coordinator shall document, in writing, all actions taken regarding investigation of the allegations, including statements of other student(s) and/or school administration/staff/contractor(s) or volunteer(s). The complainant must be notified of the right to end the informal process at any time and begin the formal stage of the complaint process. Moreover, in cases involving allegations of sexual assault, an informal resolution or mediation is not appropriate even on a voluntary basis.

B. Formal

A student who believes that his or her rights, including Title IX rights, have been violated or a parent, who believes that his or her child’s right, including Title IX rights, have been violated, may file a complaint requesting a formal investigation into the allegations. Formal complaints shall be taken in writing by the Title IX Coordinator and signed by the complainant. A thorough and complete investigation shall be conducted by the Title IX Coordinator.

This investigation shall determine: (1) whether or not the conduct occurred; (2) whether the conduct constitutes a violation of this policy, and, (3) if the conduct and was a violation, what actions the Charter School will take to end the violation, eliminate any hostile environment, and prevent its recurrence, which may include imposing sanctions on the perpetrator and providing remedies for the complainant and broader student population.

To the extent possible and allowed by law, confidentiality shall be maintained within the confines of the investigation of the alleged prohibited behavior.  All parties will be treated with dignity and due process.

C. Interim Measures

During the pendency of an investigation, the Charter School will take reasonable interim measures in order to prevent further possible Title IX issues.  These may include taking steps to avoid further contact between the complainant and the alleged perpetrator by removal of the alleged perpetrator from complainant’s homeroom/classroom, transportation, lunch, extracurricular activities and other school day activities/programming in which contact is foreseeable.  The Title IX Coordinator shall provide the complainant with periodic updates on the status of the investigation.  The Title IX Coordinator shall also ensure that the complainant is aware of his or her rights, including Title IX rights, and any available student assistance programs and resources, such as victim advocacy, academic support, counseling, disability services, health, and mental health services.  The Title IX Coordinator shall also inform the complainant of his or her right to seek outside legal assistance   and of his or her right to report a crime to local law enforcement.

Even when a Title IX Coordinator has determined that the Charter School can respect a complainant’s request for confidentiality and therefore may not be able to respond fully to an allegation of sexual violence and initiate formal action against an alleged perpetrator, these interim measures may be taken to protect the complainant while keeping the identity of the complainant confidential.

The School’s Title IX Coordinator contact information is:

Mark Battinieri, COO, Chester Community Charter School
302 E. 5th Street, Chester, PA 19013
(610) 447-0400, mbattinieri@chestercommunitycharter.org

 

Download Title IX Notification (PDF)

Download CCCS Title IX Complaint Procedures (PDF)