San Francisco Unified School District & County Office of Education
Admistrive Regulation 1312.1
Complaints Concerning District Employees
This Board Policy applies to the San Francisco Unified School District and the County Office of Education, including community school programs and activities.
The procedure specified in this administrative regulation shall be used to investigate and resolve the following complaints submitted by students, families, or community members, otherwise not covered by BP/AR 1312.3 – Uniform Complaint Procedures.
Employees who wish to submit complaints about other employees should reference AR 4044 – All Personnel – Complaints.
Complaint Procedure
Step 1: Informal Complaint Process
Every effort should be made to resolve complaints regarding District employees at the earliest possible stage. Any person who complains about a District employee shall be encouraged to resolve the matter informally through direct communication with the employee whenever possible. If the supervisor is the person about whom the individual is complaining or it is otherwise inappropriate to discuss the complaint with the supervisor, in which case a complainant may proceed to Step 2.
Step 2: Site/Department-Level Formal Complaint Process
If a complaint has not been satisfactorily resolved through the informal process in Step 1, or if it was not possible to pursue an informal resolution,, the complainant may file a written complaint with the department lead or to the Assistant Superintendent who supervises the school within 30 days of the act or event which is the subject of the complaint. If an individual fails to file a written complaint within 30 days, the complaint shall be considered resolved on the basis of the preceding step.
In the written complaint, the employee shall specify the nature of the problem, including names, dates, locations, witnesses, the remedy sought by the employee, and a description of informal efforts, if any, to resolve the issue.
The individual who investigates shall initiate an impartial investigation of an allegation in a timely manner after receiving the written complaint pursuant this regulation. The individual who investigates shall meet with the complainant to discuss the allegations and what remedies the complainant is seeking. The investigation may include interviews of the employee, complainant, or witnesses as necessary and/or a review of any documentation relevant to the complaint.
When appropriate, the individual who investigates can consider providing a written response to the complainant summarizing the investigation, finding, and steps they took to remedy or mediate the situation. When a written complaint is received, the employee who is the subject of the complaint shall be notified as soon as practicable or in accordance with the collective bargaining agreement.
When appropriate, the individual who investigates can consider providing a written response to the complainant summarizing the investigation, finding, and steps they took to remedy or mediate the situation.
Step 3: District Level Appeal
If a complaint has not been satisfactorily resolved at Step 2, the complainant may file the written appeal complaint with the Director of Employee Relations within ten (10) working days of receiving the written response from the individual who investigated at Step 2. The complainant shall include all information presented at Step 2.
Within 30 working days of receiving the written appeal, the Director of Employee Relations, or their designee, shall conduct any necessary additional investigation (if necessary), including reviewing the investigation and written documents response from Step 2, and shall meet with the complainant in an effort to resolve the complaint. Within that 30 day period the Appeal person shall prepare and send a written response to the complainant.
The Director of Employee Relation’s decision shall be final.