GBK - Staff Complaints and Grievances

Date Adopted: 7 September 1988

Current Review / Revision: 7 January 1998

A complaint is an assertion by an employee that there has been a violation, misinterpretation, or inequitable application of District policies, regulations and procedures, existing laws, or other actions that adversely and directly affect the employee personally and/or her/his work.

It is the intent of this procedure, that employee complaints will be identified and corrected at the earliest possible time, and at the lowest level of supervision.

Complaint processing should be viewed as a positive and constructive effort which seeks to establish the facts upon which the complaint is based and come to a fair conclusion. Employees will not be discriminated against, nor will reprisal be attempted against an employee because she/he has filed a complaint.

Complaints will be processed according to the step-by-step procedures outlined below:

Working Site Level (Step 1)

• A complaint will be presented orally and informally to the school principal or supervisor. If the complaint is not promptly resolved, it will be reduced to writing and submitted to the school principal or supervisor.
• Within five (5) work days of receiving the complaint, the school principal or supervisor will render a decision, in writing, to the complainant and the person or persons originally involved in the complaint.

District Level (Step 2)

• Within five (5) work days after receiving the decision of step 1b, the complainant may appeal the decision, in writing, to the Superintendent, or official designee.
• The Superintendent, or official designee, will, within ten (1O) work days of receipt of the appeal, investigate and render a decision, in writing, to the complainant, the principal or supervisor, and to the person or persons originally involved in the complaint.

Governing Board Level (Step 3)

• Within five (5) work days after receiving the decision of step 26, the complainant may appeal the decision to the Board of Education.
• The Board will schedule the matter for a hearing within thirty-five (35) work days following receipt of the appeal. The Board will render a decision within ten (IO) work days after the hearing and such decision will be deemed final.