Nonretaliation

Neither the School Board nor any other person may intimidate, threaten, coerce, or discriminate against any individual for the purpose of interfering with any right or privilege secured by Title IX or Part 106 of Title 34 of the United States Code of Federal Regulations, or because the individual has made a report or complaint, testified, assisted, or participated or refused to participate in any manner in an investigation, proceeding, or hearing under this part. Intimidation, threats, coercion, or discrimination, including charges against an individual for other policy violations that do not involve sex discrimination or sexual harassment, but arise out of the same facts or circumstances as a report or complaint of sex discrimination, or a report or formal complaint of sexual harassment, for the purpose of interfering with any right or privilege secured by Title IX or Part 106 of Title 34 of the United States Code of Federal Regulations, constitutes retaliation. Any complaint of retaliation pursuant to this policy should be directed to the Title IX 38 Coordinator. The exercise of rights protected under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution does not constitute retaliation prohibited by this policy. Charging an individual with a policy violation for making a materially false statement in bad faith in the course of a grievance proceeding under this policy does not constitute retaliation, provided, however, that a determination regarding responsibility, alone, is not sufficient to conclude that any party made a materially false statement in bad faith.