Title IX

Mrs. Karen McHale, Supervisor of Special Education, is the Title IX Coordinator for the Hanover Area School District. She can be reached by email: kmchale@hanoverarea.net or by phone: 570-831-2300 ext. 185.

What is Title IX?
Title IX is a Federal Civil Rights Clause of the 1972 Federal Education Amendments that was signed into law on June 23, 1972. It states that “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.”

To ensure that no student, employee or third party participating in or attempting to participate in an education activity or program is discriminated against based on sex, the Hanover Area School District has updated its Title IX procedures in August of 2020.

Special Education Supervisor Karen McHale is the district’s Title IX Coordinator. If anyone has a Title IX complaint, please contact Mrs. Karen McHale, kmchale@hanoverarea.net or 570-831-2300 Ext. 185.

Hanover Area’s Nondiscrimination Policies
The following are current HASD Board Policies governing our Title IX Harassment/Discrimination/Equality Protocols. To see a specific policy, click on the link below and enter the policy number in the search. https://go.boarddocs.com/pa/hano/Board.nsf/Public

Policy 103-Discrimination/Title IX/Sexual Harassment Affecting Students
Policy 103.1-Nondiscrimination-Qualified Students with Disabilities
Policy 104- Nondiscrimination/Discriminatory Harassment/Employment Practices
Policy 218.3-Discipline of Student Convicted/Adjudicated of Sexual Assault
Policy 248.1-Transgender
Policy 249-Bullying/Cyberbullying
Policy 252-Dating Violence

Employees:

Employee Training Materials
The Hanover Area School District Title IX Coordinator and Team received required training by John Audi, Esq., of the Sweet, Stevens, Kratz and Williams Group. The training materials can be viewed here.

Our Duty to Prohibit Discrimination
The Hanover Area School District, like all educational institutions, understands that we have a responsibility to protect every student's right to learn in a safe environment free from unlawful discrimination and to prevent unjust deprivations of that right. The Office for Civil Rights enforces Federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance from the Department of Education. It is the mission of the Office for Civil Rights to ensure equal access to education and to promote educational excellence throughout the nation through vigorous enforcement of civil rights.

Some history
In November 2018, the U.S. Department of Education issued proposed changes to Title IX procedures called the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking or NPRM. U.S. Department of Education received more than 124,000 comments during a six-month public comment period following the release of the NPRM.

On May 6, 2020 the US Dept. of Education issued the 2,033-page document that amended the regulations implementing the Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and which contained the new Final Regulations. These Final Regulations specify how recipients (defined as schools, LEAs, postsecondary institutions) of federal financial assistance must respond to allegations of sexual harassment consistent with Title IX’s prohibition against sex discrimination.

Final Regulations, unlike past guidance issued in 2011 and 2014 from the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) within the Department, have the full effect of law and override any past guidance.

“These Final Regulations impose, for the first time, legally binding rules on recipients with respect to sexual harassment.”

How to Report:
Students:
If a student has been subject to conduct by any student, employee or third party that constitutes a violation of the District’s anti-harassment or nondiscrimination policy(s), the student or their parent/guardian, is encouraged to immediately report the incident in any of the following ways:
1) Complete the online form.
2) Call the Bullying/Harassment hotline at 215-400-SAFE.
3) Submit a report via SAFE2SAY.
4) Email the Student Title IX Coordinator directly at kmchale@hanoverarea.net or call Karen McHale directly at 570-831-2300, extension 185.
5) Report the incide<br>nt to the building principal or designee, or to any other member of the school staff, including teachers, guidance counselors, coaches and administrators.

Employees:
An employee or third party who believes they have been subject to conduct by any employee or third party​​ that constitutes a violation of the District’s anti-harassment or nondiscrimination policy(s) is encouraged to immediately report the incident in any of the following ways:
1) Report the incident to the building principal or the immediate supervisor
2) Complete the online form.
3) Email the Employee Title IX Coordinator directly at kmchale@hanoverarea.net

Mandatory Reporting:
Any employee who witnesses, suspects or is notified that a student has been subject to conduct that constitutes a Title IX violation shall immediately report the incident by using the online form.

Safe2Say
Safe2Say is a youth violence prevention program run by the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. The program teaches youth and adults how to recognize warning signs and signals, especially within social media, from individuals who may be a threat to themselves or others and to "say something" before it is too late.

The tip line is operated and monitored 24/7 by the Office of the Attorney General, where tips are reviewed, classified, and forwarded to the appropriate school district. Anyone may provide tips about potential risks to young people through a phone call, 1-844-723-2729, Safe2Say website or phone app.

The Hanover Area School District has met all requirements established in Safe2Say, a key component in the Pennsylvania General Assembly's Act 44 of 2018. A district team has been established and trained on the program. The team includes Safety and Security Officer Michael McCree, High School Guidance Counselor Nicole Hummer, Hanover Memorial Guidance Counselor Carla Meyers, Jr./Sr. High School Principal Dan Malloy, Jr./Sr. High School Assistant Principal John Sipper, SRO Hanover Township Officer John Van Why, SRO Hanover Township Sgt. Eric Richardson, and SRO Hanover Township Officer Ryan Cywinski. .