IGDJ - Interscholastic Athletics and Activities**
Policy IGDJ
Code: IGDJ
Adopted: 9/29/14
Readopted: 5/20/19, 2/26/18, 12/12/23
Orig. Code(s): IGDJ
The Board recognizes the integral role interscholastic activities[1] play in the character development and general enhancement of the education of its students. Accordingly, administrators, coaches, advisors, student participants, and others associated with the district’s high school activities programs and events shall conduct themselves in a manner that is consistent with the letter and spirit of policies, rules, and regulations of the district and any associated voluntary organization[2]. Each will be held accountable for their actions.
The district and its schools may only be members of and pay fees, if any, to a voluntary organization that administers interscholastic activities or that facilitates the scheduling and programming of interscholastic activities if the organization:
- Implements and adheres to equity focused policies that:
- Address the use of derogatory or inappropriate names, insults, verbal assaults, profanity, or ridicule that occurs at an interscholastic activity, including by spectators of the interscholastic activity;
- Prohibit discrimination;
- Permit a student to wear religious clothing in accordance with the student’s sincerely held religious belief and consistent with any safety and health requirements; and
- Balance the health, safety, and reasonable accommodation needs of participants on an activity-by-activity basis;
- Maintains a transparent complaint process that:
- Has a reporting system to allow participants of interscholastic activities or members of the public to make complaints about student, coach, or spectator behavior;
- Responds to a complaint made within 48 hours of the complaint being received; and
- Resolves a complaint within 30 days of the complaint being received unless the organization determines that there is good cause to extend the timeline for resolving the complaint;
- Develops and implements a system of sanctions against schools, students, coaches, and spectators if a complaint is verified; and
- Performs an annual survey of students and their parents to understand and respond to potential violations of equity focused policies or other discrimination.
The district shall allow the following students that reside in the district the opportunity to participate in available interscholastic activities in accordance with Oregon law: homeschooled, those eligible to attend school and are enrolled in a high school equivalency program, and those attending a public charter school that does not provide interscholastic activities.
Interscholastic activities, when provided by the district, will comply with Title IX and other nondiscrimination laws.
District employees, students, parents, alumni, and activity volunteers are prohibited from inducing or attempting to induce a student to attend a district school for interscholastic activity eligibility or participation. The principal, activities director, advisors and coaches are each responsible for ensuring student participants meet all eligibility requirements of the district and associated voluntary organization. The principal is responsible for ensuring accurate certification regarding the eligibility of participating students and for verifying that athletic directors, coaches of sports, and activity advisors have all required certifications prior to assuming their duties. The principal shall ensure that a program is in place to effectively evaluate the performance of all coaches and activity advisors under their supervision.
Volunteers may be approved to assist with district activities with prior approval from the principal.
The principal shall investigate all allegations of district student ineligibility, staff recruitment violations or other student or staff conduct that may violate Board policies, administrative regulations, and/or the rules and regulations of the associated voluntary organization. The principal shall notify the superintendent of conduct that violates the terms of this policy and report to the associated voluntary organization if required.
An employee determined to have violated Board policies and/or rules and regulations of the associated voluntary organization may be subject to discipline, up to and including, dismissal. A student in violation of Board policies and/or the rules and regulations of the associated voluntary organization will be subject to discipline, up to and including, dismissal from an interscholastic activity or program, suspension and/or expulsion from school. Volunteers in violation of Board policies and/or the rules and regulations of the associated voluntary organization shall be subject to discipline, up to and including, removal from district programs and activities and such other sanctions as may be deemed appropriate by the district.
Employees, volunteers or students in violation of such policies, rules and/or regulations may be required to remunerate the district in the event fines are assessed as a result of their actions.
The superintendent will develop procedures, as necessary, to implement this policy, including a process to ensure that all district rules governing the conduct of students, staff, and volunteers engaged in district activities are regularly reviewed and updated.
END OF POLICY
Legal Reference(s):
ORS 326.051
ORS 332.075(1)(e)
ORS 332.107
ORS 339.450 to -339.460
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, 20 U.S.C. §§ 1681-1683 (2018); Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex in Education Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance, 34 C.F.R. Part 106 (2017).
Montgomery v. Bd. of Educ., 188 Or. App. 63 (2003).
[1] Interscholastic activities includes: for students any grade from kindergarten through grade 12, athletics, music, speech and other similar or related activities; for students in any grade from kindergarten through grade eight, activities that are offered only before or after regular school hours and that may, but are not required to, involve interaction among other schools.
[2] Includes a voluntary organization that administers interscholastic activities or that facilitates the scheduling and programming of interscholastic activities.