As part of the settlement they signed with the U.S. Department of Justice, the Ellensburg School District has less than two months to hire a consultant to assist them in complying with the agreement.
In August 2023, the Justice Department opened an investigation into a complaint to related to how the district handled alleged incidents of staff-on-student and student-on-student harassment on the basis of sex, race, color and national origin, according to the settlement documents.
The Justice Department found the district’s responses were insufficient after requesting information, conducting a site visit, and interviewing more than 100 students, teachers, administrators, parents and community members.
A 19-page settlement agreement was reached in mid-December to “prevent and address harassment and create a healthier and supportive environment for student learning and development,” according to U.S. Attorney Vanessa Waldref.
The document states that the district must have a consultant working for them by April 1.
This consultant will assist the district in complying to the agreement. They must have experience in reviewing harassment policies and procedures; developing systems to track and manage responses to harassment; developing and delivering programming to students to prevent and report harassment; and creating trainings to help school employees identify, report, investigate and appropriately respond to incidents of student-on-student and employee-on-student harassment, the document said.
The district must send a list of candidates to the Justice Department, along with each candidate’s resume and a short description of the candidate’s experience with the duties described.
Prior to selecting the consultant, the district will notify the Justice Department of its proposed selection, but the Justice Department reserves the right to object to the candidate.
If so, the district must propose an alternative within 15 days.
Once hired, the consultant will sign a “Memorandum of Understanding” with the district describing how they will help the school administration implement the specific provisions of the agreement. At least 21 days to executing the MOU, the district will provide a copy to the Justice Department for review.
Besides a consultant, the district must also designate a liaison for Latinx families by April 1.
This liaison must be fluent in Spanish and have competency in conducting community outreach, according to the document. The liaison will support Latinx students and parents, including attending public events and initiating new events for the Latinx families.
Their contact information must be prominently displayed on district and school websites and included in all Spanish-language versions of school- and district-wide communications. The liaison will produce an annual report regarding the district’s effort to liaise with Latinx families.
They will report to the superintendent, and the district will provide them with a financial stipend specifically for the position.
The district will write job descriptions for the district consultant and liaison positions and share them with the Justice Department for review at least 21 days before posting, according to the agreement.
