FILE: GAE
COMPLAINTS AND GRIEVANCES
Any employee of the Washington Parish School Board shall have the right to appeal the application of policies and administrative decisions affecting him/her. The employee shall be assured freedom from restraint, interference, coercion, discrimination, or reprisal in presenting his/her appeal with respect to a personal grievance.
All grievances shall be handled expeditiously, and according to the procedures adopted by the School Board, as follow:
A. |
Definitions:
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B. |
Procedure:
Grievances shall be processed as rapidly as possible. The number of days indicated at each level is a maximum, and every effort shall be made to expedite processing the grievance.
Step 1. After informally and thoroughly discussing any grievance with their immediate supervisor, upon reaching no satisfactory resolution of the grievance, an employee shall promptly present the grievance in writing to the immediate supervisor. Such notice shall be presented no later than five (5) working days from the date of discussion with the immediate supervisor. The written grievance submitted shall state the nature of the grievance and the harm or injury caused that initiated the grievance. The employee and the immediate supervisor shall attempt to resolve the grievance. The immediate supervisor shall make a proper disposition of the grievance and shall reply to the employee within five (5) working days following the date of submission. If the grievance is not submitted within the time prescribed, the employee shall be deemed not to have further right with respect to said grievance.
Step 2. In the event the employee wishes to appeal the decision in Step 1 or if no decision has been rendered in the time specified, the appeal must be presented in writing to the next administrative officer of higher rank than the grievant's immediate supervisor. Such appeal shall be presented within five (5) working days of the Step 1 decision. Such appeal shall contain a statement of the grievance and specific references to the action taken causing the grievance. The administrative officer shall schedule a meeting with the employee as promptly as is reasonably possible to attempt to resolve the grievance. Notice of the conference shall be given to all parties involved in an alleged grievance. The administrative officer shall issue a written decision to the grievant within five (5) working days after the conference. Unless the grievance shall be so appealed, it shall be deemed to have been settled and the grievant shall have no further right with respect to said grievance.
Step 3. In the event the grievant wishes to appeal the decision at Step 2, the appeal must be presented to the Superintendent in writing within five (5) working days of the receipt of the Step 2 decision. A copy of the Step 3 appeal, together with Step 1 and Step 2 decisions shall be submitted to the Superintendent. Upon receipt of such a written appeal, the Superintendent or his/her designee shall schedule a hearing at a specific date and time and send proper notice of the scheduled hearing to the grievant. The Superintendent or designee, at the date and time specified, shall conduct a full hearing on the grievance, and in doing so, maintain a transcript of the proceedings. Following the hearing the Superintendent or designee shall make a written recommendation for disposition of the grievance and provide a copy of the transcript to the School Board at a meeting of the School Board.
Step 4. After reviewing the transcript of the grievance hearing and the recommendation of the Superintendent or designee, the School Board then shall dispose of the grievance.
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C. |
Miscellaneous
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D. |
Representation
The person bringing forth the grievance shall have the right to present their own grievance. Grievants have the right to have representation at Steps 2 and 3.
If a person chooses to have representation when presenting their grievance, said person shall provide advance notice of such in writing to the immediate supervisor at the respective procedural level at least two (2) days prior to the meeting on the grievance. |
Revised: December, 1995
Ref: La. Rev. Stat. Ann. ยง17:100.4
Pickering v. Board of Education, 88 S. Ct. 1731 (1968)
Washington Parish School Board