Full question:
My son is an honor student and senior at Marysville high school. I was the former head basketball coach and some of the school staff and the administrators do not like me. My son has been harassed for the past year, but this year he was pulled aside by the security officer and warned that he needed to be very careful and watch his back because the school administration was out to get him. He has been accused of cutting class when he was actually in class, pulled out of his honors Enlish class to be interrogated over an alleged cut that didn't occur. They threatened to bench him from his last home basketball game and a teacher refused to give him the homework assignment in her class. She handed the assignment to everyone but Cameron and told him he wouldn't get one, What action can I take to put a stop to this? He has excellent attendance, is an honor student, member of the Christian club and he is hearing impaired.
- Category: Schools
- Date:
- State: California
Answer:
California state and federal laws provide equal access to education and are intended to promote an understanding and tolerance of all differences among students, staff, teachers and administrators. Under California law, teachers, students and administrators are prohibited by law to harass others based on race, gender, disability or sexual orientation.
School districts are responsible for maintaining a safe and harassment-free educational environment and can be held liable if they act with deliberate indifference to harassment against students in the school. Every school has an obligation to act reasonably in light of the known circumstances of harassment and discrimination. These circumstances include harassment situations involving student-on-student, teacher-on-student, and the failure of the school administration to respond promptly and effectively to complaints or conduct it knows or should understand as harassing or discriminatory.
Often, complaints can be filed against administrators and or faculty with the school board. If there is a union involved, they may be able to offer assistance with how to handle conflicts among faculty members.
If complalints to the school board are not handled or handled properly, it may be advisable to speak with a local attorney who can offer specific advice and evaluate any civil claims you may be able bring for harrassment against the school or individuals in the school.
This content is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Legal statutes mentioned reflect the law at the time the content was written and may no longer be current. Always verify the latest version of the law before relying on it.
