Director of Civil Rights Compliance

Job Description

TITLE: Director of Civil Rights Compliance

POSITION OVERVIEW:
The Director of Civil Rights Compliance is responsible for building on established work and moving the district toward an environment that is free from discrimination and harassment for all students, staff, families, and community members. This position was established pursuant to the Board of Public Education's December 2025 resolution affirming the district's commitment to equity, belonging, and supportive schools. The resolution directed the district to create a dedicated Civil Rights Officer role to improve accountability, transparency, and oversight of equity-related practices.

The Director investigates discrimination and harassment complaints involving both students and employees, ensures districtwide compliance with applicable federal and state civil rights laws, proposes policy to the Board of Public Education, and partners with the Director of People and Culture on staff training and prevention. For employee-facing investigations, the Director coordinates referrals and follow-through with Human Resources. The Director provides quarterly reports directly to the Board of Public Education.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

Investigations

• Conduct prompt, thorough, and impartial investigations of formal and informal complaints alleging discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or denial of equal access on the basis of any protected class, including race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, religion, age, and veteran or military status.
• Investigate both student-facing and employee-facing complaints. Upon completing an investigation, refer findings and recommended remediation to school-level staff and building administrators for student-facing matters, and to Human Resources for employee-facing matters.
• Coordinate with Human Resources throughout employee-related investigations to ensure consistency with applicable collective bargaining agreements, employment law, and district personnel procedures.
• Maintain a confidential case management system to track all complaints from intake through resolution, including timelines, findings, referrals, and documented outcomes.
• Remain impartial throughout all investigations. When a complaint involves a party whose position compromises the CRO's independence, including central office leadership or the Superintendent, coordinate with the Superintendent and Board Chair to identify an alternative or external investigator.

Compliance

• Serve as the district's designated coordinator for Title VI (race, color, national origin), Title IX (sex), Section 504 and ADA Title II (disability), and applicable Maine nondiscrimination requirements under Title 20-A and the Maine Human Rights Act.
• Serve as the district's primary liaison to the Maine Human Rights Commission, the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights, the EEOC, and other external regulatory bodies. Manage external agency complaints and inquiries on behalf of the district.
• Review district policies, procedures, publications, and practices on an ongoing basis to ensure alignment with current federal and state civil rights requirements. Where gaps are identified, develop proposed policy language and practices for Board and staff consideration.

Policy Development

• Develop and propose civil rights and nondiscrimination policy recommendations to the Board of Public Education, working in coordination with the Superintendent and the Policy Committee as appropriate.
• As needed, raise policy concerns directly to the Board as part of the quarterly reporting relationship, independent of administrative review.

Training and Prevention

• Partner with the Director of People and Culture to design and deliver districtwide civil rights training covering nondiscrimination obligations, complaint procedures, and staff responsibilities. Ensure training reaches all employee groups, including administrators, teachers, and support staff.
• Develop accessible materials informing students, families, and staff of their rights under district nondiscrimination policy and applicable law.
• Support building administrators and department leaders in proactively identifying and addressing conditions that may give rise to discrimination or discriminatory harassment.

Student Engagement

• Establish a student advisory group to inform the work of the department.
• Partner with students, school administrators, and school staff to establish and maintain effective peer-to-peer conflict management.
• Partially measure the successes of the office through the perceptions of students as measured by a student survey to gauge students' sense of belonging, positive environment and other key metrics for joyful school culture.

Quarterly Board Reporting (Dotted-Line Accountability)

• Present a written quarterly report directly to the Board of Public Education at a regularly scheduled Board meeting. Reports shall include a summary of complaints received by type and protected class; investigation status and outcomes; referrals made to school staff and to Human Resources; training completed across the district; any systemic patterns or emerging concerns; and policy recommendations under development.
• Annual reports shall include trend data across the full school year and a summary of external agency activity.
• Request time on a Board agenda outside the quarterly schedule to present urgent civil rights matters as needed.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Thorough knowledge of federal and state civil rights laws applicable to K-12 public education, including Title VI, Title VII, Title IX, ADA Title II, Section 504, and Maine nondiscrimination statutes.
• Demonstrated ability to plan and conduct impartial, legally sound investigations, including interviewing witnesses, analyzing evidence, and producing clear written findings and recommendations.
• Ability to coordinate effectively with Human Resources on employee-facing matters and with school-level administrators on student-facing matters.
• Strong written and oral communication skills, including the ability to present complex findings and policy recommendations to a governing board and diverse staff audiences.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality, exercise sound judgment, and remain objective in adversarial and/or politically sensitive situations.
• Strong equity orientation, cultural competence,and power analysis with the ability to engage respectfully across lines of race, language, national origin, disability, gender, and other dimensions of identity.
• Skilled at designing and facilitating professional development and training for adult audiences in collaboration with other departments.
• Proficiency with case management, data tracking, and standard office technology.

EDUCATION, TRAINING, AND EXPERIENCE:

• A Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school or an advanced degree (master's or higher) in public administration, education, human rights, organizational leadership, or a closely related field is required.
• A minimum of three to five years of direct experience conducting discrimination or harassment investigations under one or more of the following: Title VI, Title VII, Title IX, ADA, Section 504, or equivalent state civil rights statutes.
• Prior service as a Title IX Coordinator, EEO Officer, or Affirmative Action Officer is preferred.
• Experience working in a K-12 public school district or other public educational institution is preferred.
• Familiarity with Maine Human Rights Commission complaint processes and Maine nondiscrimination law is preferred.
• Experience developing and facilitating civil rights or employment equity training for adult professional audiences is preferred.

CREDENTIAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Maine State CHRC authorization (fingerprints) (more info)

EMPLOYMENT DETAILS:

• Schedule: Full Year, Full Time (1.0 FTE)
• Assignment: Permanent
• Overtime: Not eligible for overtime
• Salary range: $120,000 - $140,000 annually
• Contract: Non-bargaining
• Benefits: Eligible for a generous benefits package as outlined here

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Portland Public Schools is committed to maintaining a work and learning environment free from discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, pregnancy, gender, sexual orientation, marital/civil union status, ancestry, place of birth, age, citizenship status, veteran status, political affiliation or disability, as defined and required by state and federal laws.

Welcome to ATX Learning

Maine's largest school system has 10 elementary schools, three middle schools, and four high schools serving nearly 7,000 students in kindergarten through grade 12, as well as about 4,700 adult learners.

The district takes full advantage of its location in a vibrant city with a thriving arts life. Schools draw on the resources offered by museums, theaters, local businesses and the city's colleges and universities.

Portland has a highly trained teaching staff. Many teachers hold advanced degrees. All of the district's teachers continue their education by pursuing professional development activities on a regular basis.

The district provides technology to support instruction, including laptops for each student in grades seven through 12 and wireless access at all schools.

Volunteers, parent-teacher organizations and businesses donate generously of their time and money to the district - an estimated 100,000 hours per year.

Graduates of the Portland Public Schools attend the country's top colleges and universities. See www.portlandschools.org for colleges attended by recent graduates.

The Portland Public Schools gives parents an array of program choices. The district as one of the first in the country to offer project-based Expeditionary Learning from kindergarten through 12th grade.

High school students have access to one of the broadest selections of Advanced Placement courses in Maine. Qualified high school students may take up to two college courses with tuition paid by the state. A regional arts and technology high school provides hands-on courses in growth fields such as health care, robotics and "green" construction.

More than 60 languages are spoken by students attending the Portland Public Schools. Multilingual students represent about a quarter of the district's enrollment. The district's diversity prepares all students for their roles as world citizens.

Portland residents can pursue lifelong learning and professional success through the academic, jobs skills and enrichment courses offered by Portland Adult Education.

Most of Portland's middle and high school students participate actively in co-curricular activities such as athletics, drama, music and service clubs. Portland students regularly excel in academic and athletic competitions at the regional, state and even national level.

See a list of recent honors, awards and recognition for the Portland Public Schools at: www.portlandschools.org. Join Portland ME Public Schools on Facebook. A focus on service learning-connecting the schools to the wider community-results in students undertaking many projects that benefit greater Portland.