Pursuant to California Education Code § 35186:

The Board of Trustees is responsible for ensuring the district follows all state and federal education laws. The Board encourages resolving complaints early but uses a formal process when needed, as outlined in state regulations (5 CCR 4600–4670).

What UCP Covers

The UCP is used to address complaints related to:

• Programs like adult education, after-school programs, child care, career tech, and state preschool

• Student rights, including:

  • Accommodations for pregnant, parenting, foster, homeless, migratory, military-connected, and formerly incarcerated students

  • Graduation requirements

  • Student fees and access to physical education

  • Reasonable accommodations for lactating students

  • Discrimination, harassment, bullying, or retaliation based on protected characteristics

• Instructional materials and textbooks if use or non-use leads to discrimination

• Federal programs like Every Student Succeeds Act

• Local Control and Accountability Plans (LCAP)

• School site councils and school plans for achievement

Exclusions:
UCP does not cover employment-related discrimination complaints.

Additional Notes

• Alternative dispute resolution (like mediation) may be offered in some student-only cases, unless it risks pressuring participants.

• Retaliation against complainants is prohibited. Identities are kept confidential where possible.

• If a complaint includes issues outside UCP, those parts are sent to the correct person or agency.

• Staff are trained in UCP rules, and records of all complaints and investigations are kept per state requirements.

Learn More:

• BP 1312.3: Uniform Complaint Procedures
• AR 1312.3: Uniform Complaint Procedures
  • Uniform Complaint Annual Notice 2024-2025

If you want to file a complaint, give it to the district’s compliance officer. The compliance officer keeps a record of all complaints by assigning each one a number and a date. If you hand your complaint to a school employee who is not the compliance officer (like a principal), they must forward it to the compliance officer right away.

Most complaints must be in writing and signed by the person making the complaint. If you cannot write the complaint yourself—for example, because of a disability or if you cannot read or write—school staff will help you put the complaint in writing.

If your complaint is about sex discrimination or harassment, the process is a little different. You do not always need to submit a written complaint in those cases.

Anyone can file a complaint about the district violating education laws or program rules. This includes individuals, public agencies, and organizations.

If your complaint is about student fees or the Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP), you may file it anonymously. However, you need to include enough information or evidence for the school to investigate the issue.

You may file student fee complaints directly with the school principal, the Superintendent, or their designee.

There are deadlines for filing. Most complaints must be submitted within one year of when the problem happened. If the complaint is about discrimination, harassment, intimidation, or bullying, you must file it within six months of the incident—or from the date you first learned about it. If you need more time, you can request an extension in writing. The Superintendent or designee may give you up to 90 more days for a valid reason.

Anonymous complaints about discrimination or harassment will still be reviewed if the information provided is detailed and serious enough. If you request to keep your name confidential, the compliance officer will let you know that this may limit the district’s ability to investigate or take action. Even so, the district will do its best to look into the complaint and respond appropriately while respecting your privacy.

Investigation of Complaint
The compliance officer shall begin an investigation into the complaint within 10 business days of receiving the complaint.

Within one business day of initiating the investigation, the compliance officer shall provide the complainant and/or the complainant's representative with the opportunity to present the information contained in the complaint to the compliance officer and shall notify the complainant and/or representative of the opportunity to present the compliance officer with any evidence, or information leading to evidence, to support the allegations in the complaint. Such evidence or information may be presented at any time during the investigation.

In conducting the investigation, the compliance officer shall collect all available documents and review all available records, notes, or statements related to the complaint, including any additional evidence or information received from the parties during the course of the investigation. The compliance officer shall individually interview all available witnesses with information pertinent to the complaint, and may visit any reasonably accessible location where the relevant actions are alleged to have taken place. At appropriate intervals, the compliance officer shall inform the parties of the status of the investigation.

To investigate a complaint alleging retaliation or unlawful discrimination, harassment, intimidation, or bullying, the compliance officer shall interview the alleged victim(s), any alleged offender(s), and other relevant witnesses privately, separately, and in a confidential manner. As necessary, additional staff or legal counsel may conduct or support the investigation.

A complainant's refusal to provide the district's investigator with documents or other evidence related to the allegations in the complaint, failure or refusal to cooperate in the investigation, or any other obstruction of the investigation may result in the dismissal of the complaint because of a lack of evidence to support the allegation. Refusal by the district to provide the investigator with access to records and/or information related to the allegations in the complaint, failure or refusal to cooperate in the investigation, or any other obstruction of the investigation may result in a finding based on evidence collected that a violation has occurred and in the imposition of a remedy in favor of the complainant.  (5 CCR 4631)

Timeline for Investigation Report
Unless extended by written agreement with the complainant, the compliance officer shall prepare and send to the complainant a written investigation report, as described in the section "Investigation Report" below, within 60 calendar days of the district's receipt of the complaint.  (5 CCR 4631)

For any complaint alleging unlawful discrimination, harassment, intimidation, or bullying, the respondent shall be informed of any extension of the timeline agreed to by the complainant.

What You Can File a Complaint About

You can file a complaint if a student doesn't have proper textbooks or materials to use in class or at home, if materials are damaged or incomplete, or if only photocopies are provided due to a shortage. Complaints can also be made if a class starts without a teacher, or if a teacher is assigned who isn't qualified to teach the subject or work with English learners.

Facility complaints may be filed if there is a condition that threatens the health or safety of students or staff—such as broken doors, gas leaks, pest infestations, or non-working heating or plumbing. You can also report if school restrooms are not kept clean, stocked with supplies, or open as required. For schools serving grades 3–12, complaints may be filed if free menstrual products are not available as required by law. Starting July 1, 2026, you may also file a complaint if your school doesn’t provide at least one all-gender restroom when required.

These types of complaints follow specific district rules for how they are investigated and resolved.

Filing a Complaint

Complaints should be filed with the school principal or their designee. If the issue is beyond their authority, it will be sent to the Superintendent within 10 working days. Complaints can be made anonymously.

Complaints about a lack of textbooks due to School Board action (or inaction) can also be filed directly with the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI), with supporting evidence.

Investigation and Response

The principal or district staff will investigate and fix valid complaints within 30 working days. If a response is requested, a written reply will be sent within 45 working days. Responses will be in English and the complainant’s primary language if required.

If the complaint isn’t resolved to the complainant’s satisfaction, they can present it to the School Board at a regular meeting.

For serious facility issues that threaten health or safety, an appeal can be made to the SPI within 15 days after the district responds. Other facility complaints cannot be appealed to the SPI.

All complaints and responses are public records.

Reporting

Each quarter, the Superintendent will report to the Board and County Superintendent with a summary of complaints received, including how many were resolved.

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (“Title IX”) is a federal law that prohibits sex or gender-based discrimination in all educational programs and activities, including athletic programs.

Title IX was passed to ensure that male and female students and employees in educational settings are treated equally and fairly. It protects against discrimination based on sex (including sexual harassment). In addition, Title IX protects transgender students and students who do not conform to gender stereotypes. State law also prohibits discrimination based on gender (sex), gender expression, gender identity, and sexual orientation.

The District has a responsibility to respond promptly and effectively to sex or gender-based discrimination. If the District knows or reasonably should know about sex or gender-based discrimination, it must take action to eliminate the sex or gender-based discrimination, prevent its recurrence, and address its effects. The District must resolve complaints of sex or gender-based discrimination promptly and equitably. Information on filing a complaint alleging sex or gender-based discrimination is below, including contact information for the District’s Title IX Coordinator.

Reporting Sexual Harassment

If a student or parent/guardian believes the student has experienced or witnessed sexual harassment by another student, staff member, or anyone else, they are encouraged to tell a teacher, principal, the district's Title IX Coordinator, or any school employee.

School staff must report any sexual harassment they see or hear about to the principal or Title IX Coordinator within one school day, even if the student doesn’t file a formal complaint or asks to keep it private.

If the harassment happened off campus, the Title IX Coordinator will decide if it affects the school environment. If so, the district will investigate it just like on-campus incidents.

If the report is made verbally or informally, the Title IX Coordinator will explain how to file a formal written complaint if the student or parent wants to.

How Sexual Harassment Complaints Are Handled

All student sexual harassment complaints will be reviewed and investigated following district rules and the law.

The Title IX Coordinator will decide which process to use:

• If the complaint meets the Title IX definition of sexual harassment, it will follow the Title IX Complaint Procedures.

• All other sexual harassment complaints will follow the Uniform Complaint Procedures.

If harassment is confirmed, the district will take quick action to stop it, prevent it from happening again, and support those affected.

Compliance Officers
The district designates the individual(s), position(s), or unit(s) identified below as responsible for receiving, coordinating, and investigating complaints and for complying with state and federal civil rights laws. The individual(s), position(s), or unit(s) also serve as the compliance officer(s) specified in Administrative Regulation 5145.3 - Nondiscrimination/Harassment responsible for handling complaints regarding unlawful discrimination, harassment, intimidation, or bullying and in Administrative Regulation 5145.7 - Sex Discrimination and Sex-Based Harassment for handling complaints regarding sex discrimination and sex-based harassment.
 
Superintendent (or Designee)
Mill Valley School District
411 Sycamore Avenue
Mill Valley, CA 94941
(415) 389-7700
communications@mvschools.org

The compliance officer who receives a complaint may assign another compliance officer to investigate and resolve the complaint. The compliance officer shall promptly notify the complainant and respondent if another compliance officer is assigned to the complaint.