Affirmative Action/Title IX/Chief Equity Officer

The Division of Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action was created by law to ensure equal employment opportunities for all New Jersey State employees and prospective employees. The Division also serves to prevent State employees, prospective State employees, and persons doing business with the State, from being subjected to discrimination and/or harassment. 

EEO/AA develops policies and procedures related to equal employment opportunities and affirmative action (EEO/AA); monitors state executive agencies' programs and procedures with respect to EEO/AA issues; oversees the EEO/workforce planning process statewide; processes complaints of discrimination; monitors discrimination complaint investigations; and provides information, training, technical assistance and guidance to the executive agencies in the area of EEO/AA.  This is required of all NJ state employment agencies and the Princeton Public Schools

Affirmative Action Officers 

Title IX

What is title IX?

Title IX is the law states that "no person in the United States shall on the basis of sex be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. The amendment in 1987 expanded the definition of program or activity to include all the operations of an educational institution, governmental entity or private employer that receives federal funds.

Title IX forbids sex discrimination in all district services and academic programs. Title IX also forbids discrimination because of sex in employment and recruitment consideration or selection, whether full time or part time, under any education program or activity operated by an institution receiving or benefiting from federal financial assistance ("recipient").

Role of title ix coordinator:

Pursuant to Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972,  Princeton's Title IX Coordinator is the designated agent of the school district with primary responsibility for coordinating Title IX compliance efforts. The Title IX Coordinator’s responsibilities are critical to the development, implementation, and monitoring of meaningful efforts to comply with Title IX legislation, regulation, and case law. In broad terms, the Title IX Coordinator oversees monitoring of school district policy in relation to Title IX law developments; implementation of grievance procedures, including notification, investigation and disposition of complaints; provision of educational materials and training for the district community; conducting and/or coordinating investigations of complaints received pursuant to Title IX; ensuring a fair and neutral process for all parties; and monitoring all other aspects of the district’s Title IX compliance.

Title IX Coordinator

Chief Equity Officer

The Chief Equity Officer is recommended by the NJ Department of Health.  While not state-mandated, Princeton has embraced this role. 

A Chief Equity Officer’s other duties include: 

1. In consultation with diverse community stakeholders, identifying, developing, and implementing policies and practices to mitigate inequities and systemic racism; 
2. Addressing lack of diversity in curriculum, disproportionality in honors, gifted, AP and IB courses, CTE or work-based learning opportunities, special education, and any other program or offering; 
3. Identifying, developing, and implementing policies and practices to eliminate race-, gender-, and disability-based disparities in use of exclusionary and/or punitive discipline, referrals to law enforcement, use of restraint or seclusion, and other potentially harmful discipline practices; 
4. Fostering school climates and cultures that acknowledges, affirms, and celebrates different races, religions, national origins, genders, sexual orientations, gender identities, gender expressions, and disabilities; 
5. Promoting a culture of anti-racism, and anti-bias actions in the pursuit of equity; 

These objectives fall under the Office of Curriculum and Instruction.

Chief Equity Officer

Equity Officer

COMPLAINT/GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE

Click Here to download the form.

The Princeton Public Schools are committed to maintaining a work environment that is free from bullying, cyber-bullying, discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment or hostile work environment based on race, national origin or color, age, disability, religious preference, sex (including non-conformity to gender stereotypes), sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression.  Intimidation or retaliatory acts are prohibited.  The process for formally filing a complaint, is detailed above.

For your information, the legal requirements for a hostile work environment include the following:

1. The actions or behavior must discriminate against a protected classification such as age, religion, disability, or race. AND

2. The behavior or communication must be pervasive, lasting over time, and not limited to an off-color remark or two that a coworker found annoying. AND

3. The hostile behavior, actions, or communication must be severe. Not only is it pervasive over time, but the hostility must seriously disrupt the employee’s work. A second form of severity occurs if the hostile work environment interferes with an employee’s career progress. AND

4. It is reasonable to assume that the employer knew about the actions or behavior and did not sufficiently intervene. 

If the above criteria encompass what a staff member has encountered, please fill out the required form above and send to the Human Resources department or contact us directly as soon as you need.  Mike Volpe, Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources, has been designated the district’s Affirmative Action Officer and is in charge of investigating such complaints.

Additional References

The following policies are found in the district’s policy manual available here.

• 1140, 1510, 1523, 1530, 1550- Nondiscrimination, Affirmative Action

• 3351, 3362, 3381, 4351, 4352, 4381, 5751- Nondiscrimination, Affirmative Action

• 2260, 5337, 5750- Equal Educational Opportunity

• 5710- Student Grievance Procedure