Oregon laws protect you from being discriminated against in Oregon K-12 public schools and public charter schools. That means you cannot be excluded from class or a field trip, denied the chance to play a sport or join a club, be unfairly disciplined, denied interpretation services, or otherwise treated differently because of certain characteristics about you, known as a protected class.
Protected classes are groups of people that have legal protection against discrimination. Oregon has ten protected classes: age, color, disability, gender identity, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, and sexual orientation.
In Oregon public schools, discrimination is defined as “any act that unreasonably differentiates treatment, intended or unintended, or any act that is fair in form but discriminatory in operation” that is based on a person’s protected class status. (ORS 659.850). In other words, different treatment doesn’t have to be intentional to count as discrimination. In addition, actions or policies that appear to be fair but have a different effect on certain protected classes may still be discriminatory.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Nondiscrimination law applies to all of the school’s programs and activities, which includes more than just in class academic time. It may also include field trips, extracurricular activities, recess, lunch time, and more.
Yes. Nondiscrimination law applies to all public schools in Oregon, including public charter schools.
No, not necessarily. Oregon law focuses on the impact of the discriminatory action, not the intention. Discrimination can be “intended or unintended.”
Yes. You can file a complaint with your school district and/or with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights. More information about how to file a complaint can be found on the Filing A Civil Rights Complaint page.
You may file a complaint that includes all the discrimination you have experienced, including multiple protected classes.
Yes. School districts in Oregon are required to have a Title IX Coordinator, a Section 504/ADA Coordinator, and Civil Rights Coordinator. The contact information for these coordinators should be available on the district website. ODE also has Civil Rights Support Specialists available to assist families with concerns about discrimination. The Civil Rights Supports Specialists can be reached at ODE.CivilRightsSupport@ode.oregon.gov.
Contact Information
Families or members of the school community who have questions regarding civil rights and nondiscrimination in an Oregon K-12 public school or public charter school should contact ODE.CivilRightsSupport@ode.oregon.gov.