ABOUT THE HISD EEO OFFICE

The EEO philosophy at HISD is one of adherence to a policy of nondiscrimination in employment, training, promotion and retention consistent with federal/state regulations and Board Policy to effect a positive impact on the quality of the customer service the District gives employees, parents, and community members.  The EEO Office promotes and monitors the District's compliance with the following statutes prohibiting discrimination in the workplace:

Federal Law

• Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (as amended):
  Prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including sexual harassment), or national origin.  Title VII does not prohibit genuine but harmless differences in the way men and women routinely interact with members of the same sex and of the opposite sex.  It forbids only behavior so objectively offensive as to alter the "conditions" of the victim's employment.

• Civil Rights Act of 1991:
  Gives plaintiffs under Title VII and the ADA the right to trial by jury and allows recovery of both compensatory and punitive damages.

• Equal Pay Act of 1963:
  Prohibits sex discrimination in the payment of wages (including fringe benefits) to men and women performing substantially equal work under similar working conditions in the same establishment.

• Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967:
  Prohibits discrimination against persons 40 and over based on age.

• Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Section 35.107:
  A Federal anti-discrimination statute designed to remove barriers which prevent qualified individuals with disabilities from having the same employment opportunities as persons without disabilities.  The ADA requires employers to provide reasonable accommodation for qualified employees with disabilities.

State Law

• Texas Education Code, 37.083, Discipline Management; Sexual Harassment Policies:
  Each school district shall adopt and implement a discipline management program and may develop and implement a sexual harassment policy to be included in the district improvement plan under Section 11.252.

• The Texas Labor Code, Section 21.051:
  Makes it an unlawful employment practice for an employer to discriminate on the basis of race, sex, color, disability, religion, national origin, or age.

• Texas Family Code, Section 152.377, Chapter 261.101:
  A person having cause to believe that a child's physical or mental health or welfare has been adversely affected by abuse or neglect by any person shall make a report no later than 48 hours after the professional first suspects that the child has been or may be abused or neglected or is a victim of an offense under Section 21.11, Penal Code.

• Texas Penal Code, Chapter 21:
  Sets forth Sexual Offenses as: Homosexual Conduct; Public Lewdness; Indecent Exposure; Indecency With a Child; Improper Relationship Between Educator and Student; and Improper Photography or Visual Recording