“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 of the Higher Education Amendments of 1972
Aveda Institute Portland does not discriminate on the basis of sex and prohibits sex discrimination in any education program or activity that it operates, as required by Title IX and its regulations, including in admission and employment.
Inquiries about Title IX may be referred to Aveda Institute Portland’s Title IX Coordinator, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, or both. Aveda Institute Portland’s Title IX Coordinator is Niki Sparks, 325 NW 13th Avenue, Portland, OR 97209, [email protected], 503-517-2579.
Aveda Institute Portland’s nondiscrimination policy and grievance procedures can be located in the school catalog which can be found here: Portland Catalog | Vancouver Catalog
To report information about conduct that may constitute sex discrimination or make a complaint of sex discrimination under Title IX, please contact the Institute’s Title IX Coordinator, Niki Sparks.
Statement of Non-Discrimination
Aveda Institute Portland does not discriminate and expressly prohibits any form of student or staff harassment based on race, age, color, sex, religion, financial status, national origin, ethnic origin, ancestry, marital status, handicap or disability, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law. This policy applies to all aspects of operation including but not limited to admissions, instruction, educational opportunities and graduation policies.
I. Policy
It is the policy of Aveda Institute Portland (the “Institute”) to maintain an environment for students, faculty, administrators, staff, and visitors that is free of all forms of discrimination and harassment, including sexual harassment. The Institute has enacted the Sexual Harassment Policies & Grievance Procedures (the “Policy”) to reflect and maintain its institutional values, to provide for fair and equitable procedures for determining when this Policy has been violated, and to provide recourse for individuals and the community in response to violations of this Policy.
The Policy can be found at the Institute’s website at
www.avedapdx.com or obtained in person from the Title IX Coordinator (see below).
The Institute does not discriminate on the basis of sex in its educational, extracurricular, or other programs or in the context of employment. Sex discrimination is prohibited by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, a federal law that provides:
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.
This Policy prohibits all forms of sex discrimination, harassment, and misconduct, including sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking. The requirement not to discriminate in the Institute’s education programs or activities extends to admission. This Policy also prohibits retaliation against a person who has made a report or complaint, testified, assisted, or participated or refused to participate in any manner in an investigation, proceeding, or hearing under this Policy. Inquiries about the application of Title IX may be referred to the Institute’s Title IX coordinators, the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights, or both.
The Institute also prohibits other forms of discrimination and harassment, including discrimination and harassment on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, or age in its programs and activities. The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies, including Title IX:
Portland Campus: Onsite Title IX Coordinator - Niki Sparks
Vancouver Campus: Onsite Title IX Coordinator - Jay Frank
Offsite Title IX Coordinator - Tracie Bryant
Inquiries or complaints concerning the Institute’s compliance with Title IX or other federal civil rights laws may be referred to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights.
U.S. Department of Education
915 Second Avenue, Room 3310
Seattle, WA 98174-1099
Phone: (206) 607-1600
Facsimile: (206) 607-1601
Email: [email protected]
Aveda Institute Portland desires to create and sustain an anti-discriminatory environment and will not tolerate discrimination of any kind. The Institute will achieve this through education, orientation, and training for all students, staff, and faculty for the purpose of creating awareness of both the issues surrounding discrimination as well as accountability, sensitivity training, and anti-discrimination training in their classrooms, at least once while the student is in Institute.
II. Sexual Harassment Grievance Procedure
Reports of sexual harassment should be made to the Institute’s Title IX Coordinator or a designated Institute official. As set forth in the Policy, the Institute’s designated Institute officials include the Institute’s owners and campus Directors. The Institute will respond promptly when it has actual knowledge of sexual harassment in its education programs or activities. The Title IX Coordinator will promptly contact the complainant to discuss the availability of supportive measures, consider the complainant’s wishes with respect to supportive measures, inform the complainant of the availability of supportive measures with or without the filing of a formal complaint, and explain to the complainant the process for filing a formal complaint.
The Institute will investigate all formal complaints of sexual harassment. A formal complaint must be in writing, filed by a complainant or signed by the Title IX Coordinator alleging sexual harassment against a respondent, and request that the Institute investigate the allegation of sexual harassment. A formal complaint form may be obtained from the Title IX Coordinator, although no particular form is required to submit a formal complaint so long as the complaint is in writing, signed by a complainant, alleges sexual harassment against a respondent, and requests an investigation. The Institute’s Title IX Coordinator oversees the Institute’s investigation, response to, and resolution of all reports of prohibited sexual harassment, and of related retaliation, involving students, faculty, and staff.
If all parties voluntarily agree to participate in an informal resolution that does not involve a full investigation and adjudication after receiving notice of a formal complaint and if the Institute determines that the particular formal complaint is appropriate for such a process, the Institute will facilitate an informal resolution to assist the parties in reaching a voluntary resolution. The Institute retains the discretion to determine which cases are appropriate for voluntary resolution.
The Institute will convene a hearing panel following the end of an investigation. The hearing panel determines whether the respondent is responsible or not responsible for a violation of the Policy. If the respondent is determined to be responsible, the hearing panel’s written determination will include any disciplinary sanctions the school imposes on the respondent. The Policy provides that the parties have the right to appeal the hearing panel’s determination under certain circumstances.
Title IX Training Resources
Module 1 - An Introduction to Managing Title IX Sexual Harassment on Campus, (Title IX Training Series, Thompson Coburn LLP) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ogn0q7RF0X8&list=PLYrJQ3qn6Pn15VmKJDQ0lCDJeNLXhL4bm&index=2&t=0s
Module 2 - Formal Complaints of Title IX Sexual Harassment, (Title IX Training Series, Thompson Coburn LLP) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxwdsrZ7cO8&list=PLYrJQ3qn6Pn15VmKJDQ0lCDJeNLXhL4bm&index=2
Module 3 - Title IX Investigations & Informal Resolutions (Title IX Training Series, Thompson Coburn LLP) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plMwthkVrYg&list=PLYrJQ3qn6Pn15VmKJDQ0lCDJeNLXhL4bm&index=3
Module 4 - Title IX Hearings (Title IX Training Series, Thompson Coburn LLP) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sokqSgHqDE8&list=PLYrJQ3qn6Pn15VmKJDQ0lCDJeNLXhL4bm&index=4
Module 5 - Title IX Determinations (Title IX Training Series, Thompson Coburn LLP) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stExufFdCRs&list=PLYrJQ3qn6Pn15VmKJDQ0lCDJeNLXhL4bm&index=5
Module 6 - Title IX Appeals (Title IX Training Series, Thompson Coburn LLP) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pEI2ou9GeQ&list=PLYrJQ3qn6Pn15VmKJDQ0lCDJeNLXhL4bm&index=6
