ANTI-HARASSMENT/DISCRIMINATION POLICY
In order to maintain a school environment that encourages optimum human growth and development
for its students and employees, it is the policy of the School District of Holmen to maintain and take all
necessary and appropriate actions to ensure a learning and working environment free of any form of
discrimination/harassment toward students, personnel, school board members, volunteers, and
visitors. Harassment/discrimination undermines the integrity of the District’s employment and
academic relationships, and will not be tolerated.
The School Board acknowledges all regulations, requirements and responsibilities defined by both
State and Federal equal rights laws regarding harassment/discrimination. Under these laws a person
may not be harassed/discriminated against based on their: age, race, sex, creed, religion, national
origin, disability, sexual orientation, arrest/conviction record, or marital/parental status.
This policy applies to all academic programs and co-curricular activities, including school-sponsored
events away from school.
Harassment/discrimination is illegal if it is based upon a protected group status. Harassment is defined
as any unwanted, deliberate or repeated unsolicited comments, gestures, graphic materials, physical
contacts, or solicitation of favors which is based upon ones' group membership when:
a) Submission to the conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly as a term or condition of an
individual's employment, or academic advancement; or
b) Submission to or rejection of the conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment
decisions affecting the individual, or as a factor in decisions affecting a person's employment or
education; or
c) The conduct has the purpose or effect of substantially interfering with an individual's work
performance/education or creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive working/educational
environment.
Anyone, who feels that he/she has been subjected to any of the above-described behavior, should
report the situation in accordance with the District’s established harassment/discrimination complaint
procedure. Students and/or their parents/guardians who feel they, or their children, have been
subjected to any of the above-described behavior may report their concerns to any district employee.
Staff who feel they have been subjected to any of the above-described behavior should report their
concerns to the building administrator, any administrator, or directly to the Superintendent of Schools.
All harassment/discrimination complaints shall be taken seriously and properly investigated.
Appropriate corrective action shall be taken as necessary. For employees, violation of this policy could
include disciplinary measures up to and including discharge. For students, violation of this policy could
include disciplinary measures up to and including expulsion. In addition, persons who
harass/discriminate may be personally liable under civil suits.
It is further the policy of the District that a sexual relationship between staff and students Is not
permissible in any form or under any circumstances, in or out of the work place, in that it interferes
with educational process and Involves elements of coercion by reason of the relative status of a staff
member to a student.
Staff who witness, overhear, or are told about harassment should report such incidents to a building
administrator. Additionally, staff who witness harassment have a duty to intervene and stop the
harassment. If staff witness or hear about harassment and fail to intervene and report it to a building
administrator they could be subject to disciplinary measures up to and including discharge.
The School District will not tolerate any conduct that fails to comply with the letter and spirit of this
policy. All school board members, supervisors, employees, students, volunteers or visitors are
required to abide by the policy.
Retaliation in any form against any school board member, volunteer, student or employee for
complaints or participation in any investigation of alleged harassment is prohibited.