Series 4000: District Employment
4100 Employee Rights and Responsivities
4104 Employment Complaint Procedure
4104 Employment Complaint Procedure for Allegations Implicating Civil Rights
This employment complaint procedure for allegations implicating an employee’s civil rights is designed to facilitate: (1) prompt notification of alleged Unlawful Discrimination, including unlawful harassment and Retaliation; (2) a prompt and thorough investigation of good faith allegations; and (3) the implementation of appropriate corrective action, if necessary, to eliminate verified Unlawful Discrimination, harassment, and Retaliation from the workplace.
A. Initiating a Complaint
1. A Board member, employee, or employment applicant who believes he/she has been the subject of Unlawful Discrimination, harassment or Retaliation, must timely file a complaint, preferably within 10 business days of the alleged or suspected violation or when the reporter obtained knowledge of the alleged or suspected violation, with the Employment Compliance Officer or applicable coordinator listed in Policy 3115B.
2. A complaint of Unlawful Discrimination, including harassment or Retaliation, may be made verbally or in writing. The complaint will be memorialized on Form 3115-F-1.
3. A complaint alleging Title IX sexual harassment must be in writing. Policy 3118 governs the Title IX sexual harassment complaint procedures.
B. Investigation Procedures
A written or verbal report (including an anonymous report) of Unlawful Discrimination, including harassment or Retaliation, will be investigated promptly and thoroughly using the Grievance Procedure outlined in Policy 3115E, unless the Complaint is dismissed pursuant to Policy 3115F or informal resolution is reached Pursuant to Policy 3115D.
A complaint alleging Title IX sexual harassment will be investigated pursuant to the process set forth in Policy 3118.
C. Reports to State or Federal Administrative Agencies
Any person who believes that he/she was the victim of Unlawful Discrimination, including unlawful harassment or Retaliation, may file a complaint with the Michigan Department of Civil Rights (MDCR) or the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) at any time:
Michigan Department of Civil Rights Capitol Tower Building
110 W. Michigan Avenue, Suite 800
Lansing, MI 48933
Phone: 517-335-3165
Fax: 517-241-0546
TTY: 517-241-1965
Email: MDCR-INFO@michigan.gov
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Patrick V. McNamara Building
477 Michigan Avenue - Room 865
Detroit, MI 48226
Phone: 800-669-4000
Fax: 313-226-4610
TTY: 800-669-6820
Email: info@eeoc.gov
An agency complaint may be filed before, during, or after a complaint is filed with the District, or a person may forego filing a complaint with the District and rely solely on the MDCR or EEOC. The District recommends that a person who has been subjected to Unlawful Discrimination, including unlawful harassment or Retaliation, also file a complaint with the District to ensure that the District can take steps to prevent further Unlawful Discrimination, including unlawful harassment or Retaliation, and to discipline the Respondent, if appropriate. The MDCR and EEOC do not serve as an appellate body for District decisions. An investigation by the MDCR or EEOC will occur separately from any District investigation.
Legal authority: U.S. CONST. amend. XIV; 20 USC 1681 et seq.; 29 USC 701 et seq.; 42 USC 2000d et seq., 2000e et seq., 2000ff et seq., 6101 et seq., 12101 et seq.; 29 CFR 1630; 34 CFR 104, 106.1, et seq.; MCL 15.261 et seq.; MCL 37.1101 et seq., 37.2101 et seq.
Date adopted: 08/09/21
Date revised: 10/16/23, 7/16/2024, 3/10/2025
