General Complaint Policy

Northern United Charter Schools (NUCS or “the School”) has adopted this General Complaint Policy to address concerns about the School generally or regarding specific employees. For complaints regarding harassment or perceived violations of state or federal laws, please refer to the School’s Title IX, Harassment, Intimidation, Discrimination, and Bullying Policy and/or the School’s Uniform Complaint Procedures. For all other complaints, the General Complaint form and accompanying procedures will be appropriate.

INTERNAL COMPLAINTS

(Complaints by Employees against Employees)
This section of the policy is for use when a NUCS employee raises a complaint or concern about a co-worker.

If reasonably possible, internal complaints should be resolved at the lowest possible level, including attempts to discuss/resolve concerns with the immediate supervisor. However, in the event an informal resolution may not be achieved or is not appropriate, the following steps will be followed by the School Director or designee:
• The complainant will bring the matter to the attention of the School Director as soon as possible after attempts to resolve the complaint with the immediate supervisor have failed or if not appropriate.
• The complainant will reduce his or her complaint to writing, indicating all known and relevant facts. The School Director or designee will then investigate the facts and provide a solution or explanation.
• If the complaint is about the School Director, the complainant may file his or her complaint in a signed writing to the Chair of the Board of Directors (“Board”), who will then confer with the Board and may conduct a fact-finding or authorize a third-party investigator on behalf of the Board . The Chair or investigator will report his or her findings to the Board for review and action, if necessary.
This policy cannot guarantee that every problem will be resolved to the employee’s satisfaction. However, NUCS values each employee’s ability to express concerns and the need for resolution without fear of adverse consequence to employment.

POLICY FOR COMPLAINTS GENERALLY

(General Complaints and Complaints by Third Parties against Employees)
This section of the policy is for use when either a complaint does not fall under other complaint procedures or a third party (non-employee) raises a complaint or concern about NUCS generally, or a School employee.

If complaints cannot be resolved informally, complainants may file a written complaint with the office of the School Director or Chair of the Board (only if the complaint concerns the School Director) as soon as possible after the events that give rise to the complainant’s concerns. The written complaint should set forth in detail the factual basis for the complaint.

In processing the complaint, the School Director (or designee) shall abide by the following process:
• The School Director or designee shall use his or her best efforts to ascertain the facts relating to the complaint. Where applicable, the School Director or designee shall talk with the parties identified in the complaint or persons with knowledge of the particulars of the complaint to ascertain said facts.
• In the event that the School Director (or designee) finds that a complaint is valid, the School Director (or designee) may take appropriate action to resolve the problem. Where the complaint is against an employee of NUCS, the School Director may take disciplinary action against the employee. As appropriate, the School Director (or designee) may also simply counsel/reprimand employees as to their conduct without initiating formal disciplinary measures.
• The School Director’s (or designee’s) decision relating to the complaint shall be final unless it is appealed to the Board of Directors. The decision of the Board shall be final.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

• Confidentiality: All complainants will be notified that information obtained from the complainants and thereafter gathered will be maintained in a manner as confidential as possible, but in some circumstances absolute confidentiality cannot be assured.
• Non-Retaliation: All complainants will be advised that they will be protected against retaliation as a result of the filing of any complaints or participation in any complaint process.

Resolution: The Board (if a complaint is about the School Director) or the School Director or designee will investigate complaints appropriately under the circumstances and pursuant to the applicable procedures, and if necessary, take appropriate remedial measures to ensure effective resolution of any complaint.

Important Notice from CDE: Charter schools are not allowed to discourage a pupil from enrolling or seeking to enroll in a charter school because the pupil exhibits any characteristics such as students with disabilities, academically low-achieving, English learners, neglected or delinquent, homeless, socially economically disadvantaged, foster youth, or based on nationality, race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. Charter schools are not allowed to request a pupil’s records before enrollment or encourage a child who is enrolled in a charter school to disenroll or transfer to another school. A parent, guardian, or pupil (18 years or older) may file a Charter School Complaint Form to the authorizing entity if they suspect the charter school is in violation of Education Code (EC)Section 47605(d)(4)