Nondiscrimination at Monte

Montesano School District does not discriminate in any of its programs, activities, or employment practices. This page is the single front door for civil-rights concerns: who is protected, who to contact, how to file, and where to go if you'd rather not start with the district.

Specific topics — sex-based discrimination and Title IX, disability discrimination and Section 504/ADA, harassment, intimidation, and bullying (HIB) — have their own dedicated pages with the full procedure. This page links you to each.

Who is protected

Washington state law (RCW 28A.642) and federal civil-rights law prohibit discrimination in any district program or activity on the basis of:

  • Race, color, national origin, or ethnicity
  • Creed or religion
  • Age
  • Sex, sexual orientation (including gender expression or gender identity), or marital status
  • Honorably-discharged veteran or military status
  • The presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability
  • The use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability

Federal law adds protections that overlap with the state list:

  • Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 — race, color, national origin
  • Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 — sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity)
  • Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 — disability
  • Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) — disability
  • Age Discrimination Act of 1975 — age
  • Boy Scouts of America Equal Access Act — youth group access

In plain language: we don't treat any student, family, or employee differently because of who they are, where they're from, what their body or brain does, who they love, what they believe, or who serves in their household. If you see something that looks like discrimination, tell us — the routes are below.

Our compliance officers

All of our coordinators work out of the District Office at 502 E. Spruce Avenue, Montesano, WA 98563.

Title IX Coordinator

Sex-based discrimination, sexual harassment, pregnancy-related, and gender-identity issues under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and 34 CFR Part 106.

Dan Winter, Superintendent Phone: (360) 249-3942 Email: dwinter@monteschools.org

See /title-ix for the full Title IX process, including the grievance procedure and federal escalation path.

Section 504 / ADA Coordinator

Disability-based discrimination, accessibility, accommodations, and 504 plans under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Shawn Brown, Director of Student Services Phone: (360) 249-1233 Email: sbrown@monteschools.org

See /section-504 for the full Section 504 / ADA process, including accommodations requests and federal escalation path.

Civil Rights Compliance Coordinator

General discrimination complaints under RCW 28A.642 and WAC 392-190 (covering race, color, national origin, ethnicity, creed, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, veteran status, disability, and use of a service animal).

Shawn Brown, Director of Student Services Phone: (360) 249-1233 Email: sbrown@monteschools.org

The same person holds the Section 504/ADA and Civil Rights Compliance roles — that's permitted under Washington practice and keeps the district's discrimination intake in one place.

HIB Compliance Officer

Harassment, intimidation, or bullying — RCW 28A.600.477 and Board Policy 3207. HIB has its own process (5-day investigation, written outcome within 2 school days, anti-retaliation under RCW 28A.600.480).

Shawn Brown, Director of Student Services Phone: (360) 249-1233 Email: sbrown@monteschools.org

See /hib for the full HIB process, the reporting form, and the 5/2/5 timeline.

Gender-Inclusive Schools Coordinator

Gender-inclusive practices in schools under Board Policy 3211 and OSPI's Gender-Inclusive Schools guidance — restrooms and changing spaces, names and pronouns, dress codes, and protections for transgender and gender-expansive students.

Stephanie Klinger, Director of CTE / Curriculum / Human Resources Phone: (360) 249-1245 Email: sklinger@monteschools.org

How to file a concern or complaint

You can raise a concern in any form that works for you — in person, by phone, by email, or in writing. Anonymous reports are accepted; anonymous reports may limit what we can investigate, but they will not be ignored.

The district's full step-by-step process — the 30-calendar-day district investigation, the 10-calendar-day appeal to the School Board, the 20-calendar-day appeal to OSPI — is published at /citizen-complaint. The same page covers Title IX, Section 504/ADA, and HIB intake.

You don't need to know which category your concern falls in before reporting. Tell us what happened; we'll route the report to the right coordinator and loop in others if needed.

External agencies you can also contact

You can file directly with any of the agencies below — you do not have to start with the district first.

OSPI Office of Equity and Civil Rights

The state-level office that oversees discrimination compliance in Washington schools.

Phone: (360) 725-6162 TTY: (360) 664-3631 Email: equity@k12.wa.us Mail: Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction PO Box 47200, Olympia, WA 98504-7200 Online: ospi.k12.wa.us/policy-funding/equity-and-civil-rights

U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights (Region 10 — Seattle)

The federal office that enforces Title VI, Title IX, Section 504, ADA Title II, and the Age Discrimination Act in K-12 schools.

Phone: (206) 607-1600 (Seattle regional) National hotline: 1-800-421-3481 Email: OCR.Seattle@ed.gov Mail: U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights, Region X 915 Second Avenue, Room 3310 Seattle, WA 98174-1099

Washington State Human Rights Commission

The state agency that investigates discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, and credit. Use this route for employment-related concerns.

Phone: 1-800-233-3247 TTY: 1-800-300-7525 Email: hum.rights@hum.wa.gov Mail: 711 South Capitol Way, Suite 402 PO Box 42490, Olympia, WA 98504-2490 Online: hum.wa.gov

Washington Education Ombuds

A free, independent, confidential state office that helps families work through K-12 concerns informally — before any formal complaint is filed. The Ombuds is separate from OSPI and from the school district. They offer phone interpretation in 150+ languages.

Phone: 1-866-297-2597 Email: oeoinfo@gov.wa.gov Online: oeo.wa.gov

Talking to the Ombuds does not start a formal complaint; you can file at any time, with or without the Ombuds. Many families find that one call is enough to get unstuck.

You are protected from retaliation

Any student, family member, employee, or community member has the right to raise a concern or file a complaint about discrimination without fear of retaliation. Retaliation against a person who makes a good-faith report is itself a violation of district policy and is prohibited by state and federal law (RCW 28A.600.480 for HIB; 34 CFR Part 106 for Title IX; Section 504; Title VI; RCW 49.60 for employment).

If you believe you are experiencing retaliation, contact the appropriate compliance officer above immediately. Retaliation complaints are investigated on the same timeline as the underlying discrimination report.

Need this in another language?

This page is published in English. If you'd like this information in another language, or if you need an interpreter for a meeting, phone call, or document, please contact:

Phone: (360) 249-3942 Email: community@monteschools.org

We arrange interpretation at no cost to families. The Washington Education Ombuds (above) also offers phone interpretation in 150+ languages.

Accessibility

Monte's website and facilities are committed to accessibility under Section 508, Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and WCAG 2.1 Level AA. If you encounter a barrier to access — a page that doesn't work with your screen reader, a meeting space without a ramp, a document that isn't tagged for accessibility — tell us so we can fix it.

See /accessibility for the district's accessibility statement, accommodation request process, and contact information for the Section 504/ADA Coordinator.

Policy and procedure

This notice is published in accordance with Washington state law:

  • RCW 28A.300.286 — model handbook language must appear in district handbooks AND on the district website (effective 2024-25 school year).
  • RCW 28A.642 — discrimination prohibited in Washington public schools.
  • WAC 392-190 — equal educational opportunity rules; OSPI's enforcement framework for RCW 28A.642.

The district's full policies are:

  • Policy 3210 — Nondiscrimination
  • Procedure 3210P — Nondiscrimination procedure
  • Policy 3207 — Prohibition of Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying
  • Procedure 3207P — HIB procedure
  • Policy 3211 — Gender-Inclusive Schools

All policies are available at /policies. The district's annual nondiscrimination notice is provided to all employees as part of required civil-rights training under WAC 392-190-020.

How this page is updated

The contact information, compliance officer designations, and external-agency details on this page are reviewed annually by August 15, matching the district's annual OSPI HIB-policy submission cycle. If you spot something out of date — a phone number that no longer reaches the right person, a missing coordinator, a broken link — please email community@monteschools.org so we can fix it within one business day.