Civil Rights

Title VI and Title VII Act of 1964

In addition to policy statements on discrimination and harassment that reflect Real Salt Lake Acadamy is committed to creating and maintaining educational and working environments that are free of any unlawful discrimination, the RSLA recognizes its legal obligations to ensure compliance with this goal pursue that same goal under applicable Federal and State statutes. These include Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Title VI prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color or national origin under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. Employment discrimination is covered by Title VI if the primary objective of the financial assistance is the provision of employment or where employment discrimination causes discrimination in providing services under such programs.

Title VII prohibits discrimination in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin. In certain instances, differential treatment is allowed for religion, sex, or national origin if it is a bona fide occupational qualification. Sexual harassment is also prohibited under this law as are all forms of harassment based on membership in a protected class.

For concerns regarding Title VI and Title VII act of 1964, please contact:

Grant Stock, Salt Lake Academy High School Principal
gstock@rslacademy.org
(385) 474-9052

Training or Resources

• Title VI and Title VII Act of 1964

Title IX

No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance. Title IX is published in the United States Code at 20 U.S.C. §1681-§1688

Becky Hogan, Salt Lake Academy Title IX Coordinator
bhogan@rslacademy.org

Training or Resources

• Sexual Harassment Form

Title IX Coordinator Training September 19th, 2022 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LN-m0CWTTHo
Utah State Board of Education Title IX Regulations - https://youtu.be/Fza_fG9K_oI

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act

Your Rights Under Section 504 or the Rehabilitation Act

What Is Section 504?

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a national law that protects qualified individuals from discrimination based on their disability. The nondiscrimination requirements of the law apply to employers and organizations that receive financial assistance from any Federal department or agency, including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). These organizations and employers include many hospitals, nursing homes, mental health centers and human service programs.

Section 504 forbids organizations and employers from excluding or denying individuals with disabilities an equal opportunity to receive program benefits and services. It defines the rights of individuals with disabilities to participate in, and have access to, program benefits and services.

Who Is Protected from Discrimination? 

Section 504 protects qualified individuals with disabilities. Under this law, individuals with disabilities are defined as persons with a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities. People who have a history of, or who are regarded as having a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, are also covered. Major life activities include caring for one's self, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, working, performing manual tasks, and learning. Some examples of impairments which may substantially limit major life activities, even with the help of medication or aids/devices, are: AIDS, alcoholism, blindness or visual impairment, cancer, deafness or hearing impairment, diabetes, drug addiction, heart disease, and mental illness. In addition to meeting the above definition, for purposes of receiving services, education or training, qualified individuals with disabilities are persons who meet normal and essential eligibility requirements.

For purposes of employment, qualified individuals with disabilities are persons who, with reasonable accommodation, can perform the essential functions of the job for which they have applied or have been hired to perform. (Complaints alleging employment discrimination on the basis of disability against a single individual will be referred to the U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for processing.) Reasonable accommodation means an employer is required to take reasonable steps to accommodate your disability unless it would cause the employer undue hardship.

Janice Randall, 504 Coordinator
jrandall@rslacademy.org

Training or Resources

• Utah Parent Center

Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) became law in 1990. The ADA is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places that are open to the general public. The purpose of the law is to make sure that people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else. The ADA is divided into five titles (or sections) that relate to different areas of public life. These are:

Employment

• Helps people with disabilities access the same employment opportunities and benefits available to people without disabilities.
• Applies to employers with 15 or more employees.
• Requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants or employees. A “reasonable accommodation” is a change that accommodates employees with disabilities so they can do the job without causing the employer “undue hardship” (too much difficulty or expense).
• Defines disability, establishes guidelines for the reasonable accommodation process, and addresses medical examinations and inquiries.
• Regulated and enforced by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Public Services: State and Local Government

• Prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability by “public entities” such as state and local government agencies.
• Requires public entities to make their programs, services, and activities accessible to individuals with disabilities.
• Outlines requirements for self-evaluation and planning; making reasonable modifications to policies, practices, and procedures where necessary to avoid discrimination; identifying architectural barriers; and communicating effectively with people with hearing, vision, and speech disabilities.
• Regulated and enforced by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Public Accommodations and Services Operated by Private Entities

• Prohibits places of public accommodation from discriminating against individuals with disabilities. Public accommodations include privately owned, leased, or operated facilities like hotels, restaurants, retail merchants, doctor’s offices, golf courses, private schools, daycare centers, health clubs, sports stadiums, movie theaters, and so on.
• Sets the minimum standards for accessibility for alterations and new construction of commercial facilities and privately owned public accommodations. It also requires public accommodations to remove barriers in existing buildings where it is easy to do so without much difficulty or expense.
• Directs businesses to make "reasonable modifications" to their usual ways of doing things when serving people with disabilities.
• Requires that businesses take steps necessary to communicate effectively with customers with vision, hearing, and speech disabilities.
• Regulated and enforced by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Telecommunications

• Requires telephone and Internet companies to provide a nationwide system of interstate and intrastate telecommunications relay services that allows individuals with hearing or speech disabilities to communicate over the telephone.
• Requires closed captioning of federally funded public service announcements.
• Regulated by the Federal Communication Commission.

Miscellaneous Provisions

Contains a variety of provisions relating to the ADA as a whole, including its relationship to other laws, state immunity, its impact on insurance providers and benefits, prohibition against retaliation and coercion, illegal use of drugs, and attorney’s fees.

Provides a list of certain conditions that are not considered disabilities.

Transportation

• Public Transportation offered by a state or local government is covered by Title II of the ADA. Publicly funded transportation includes, but is not limited to, bus and passenger train (rail) service. Rail service includes subways (rapid rail), light rail, commuter rail, and Amtrak.
• If transportation is offered by a private company, it is covered by Title III. Privately funded transportation includes, but is not limited to, taxicabs, airport shuttles, intercity bus companies, such as Greyhound, and hotel-provided transportation.
• The U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration releases information, guidance and regulations on transportation and the ADA.

Kelsi Bailey, Americans with Disabilities Act Coordinator
kbailey@rslacademy.org

Training or Resources

• National Association of Special Education Teachers