Section 504 Discrimination Grievance Procedure
Pursuant to meeting the regulations for the establishment of a grievance procedure as set forth in Section 84.7 (b) of the rules and regulations of Section 504, “Non Discrimination on Basis of Handicap,” and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, P.L. 101-336 which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in services, programs, or activities, the following procedure is to be used by students, parents of students, or employees in the resolution of grievances. The President shall ensure that no student or employee will be subject to any form of retaliation or discipline as a result of submitting a Section 504 or ADA complaint.
Informal Grievance Procedure
Complainants are encouraged to seek informal resolution of their grievances or concerns. This informal procedure is intended to encourage communication between the parties involved, either directly or through an intermediary; in order to facilitate a mutual understanding of what may be different perspectives regarding the complaint of act or directive.
If the informal process does not result in the resolution of the grievable issue to the satisfaction of the complainant, the student may utilize the formal grievance procedure.
Formal Complaint Procedure
Within 15 business days of the incident being grieved, the student must file a formal written grievance with an ADA/Section 504 Coordinator:
- Name
- Date
- Brief description of incident being grieved
- Remedy requested
- Signature
- Informal remedy attempted by student and outcome
If the complaint is against the ADA/Section 504 Coordinator, the complaint shall be filed directly with the President. If the complaint is against the President, the complaint shall be filed in accordance with the appeals procedure.
The ADA/Section 504 Coordinator will investigate the matter and supply a written response to the student within 15 business days.
Appeal of Response:
If a student is unsatisfied with the response, the student may file a written appeal to the CPTC President within 5 business days of receiving the response. The appeal will be decided based entirely on documents provided by the student and the administrator. Therefore, the student must ensure that he or she has provided all relevant documents with his or her appeal. At the CPTC President's discretion, grievance appeals may be held in one of the following two ways:
- The President may review the information provided by the student and administrator and make the final decision; or
- The President may appoint a cross-functional committee to make the final decision.
The decision of either the President or the cross-functional committee shall be made within 10 business days of receipt of the appeal. Whichever process is chosen by the President, the decision of the grievance appeal is final.