Office of Employee Relations

The Office of Employee Relations (OER) at Atlanta Public Schools (APS) ensures integrity and fairness through impartial investigations and reviews. This helps APS focus on student success. OER handles allegations of employee wrongdoing and discrimination, ensuring fairness from start to finish.

OER's responsibilities include:

Workplace Investigations
Dispute Resolution
Grievance Process
Mediation
Technical Assistance
Proactive Resolution Strategies

Title IX

APS does not discriminate on the basis of sex in its education program and activities, as required by Title IX. Such a requirement not to discriminate extends to admission and employment. As required by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, APS prohibits all unlawful discrimination, harassment and retaliation on the basis of sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation in any employment decision, admissions determination, education program or educational activity. Effective August 14, 2020, pursuant to federal regulations implementing Title IX, any complaint involving “sexual harassment” as defined by those federal regulations that occurs in an Atlanta Public Schools education program or activity against a person in the United States shall be addressed pursuant to the Atlanta Public Schools Title IX Grievance Procedure, available below. Inquiries about the application of Title IX may be directed to the Assistant Secretary of the Office for Civil Rights, United States Department of Education, or to the APS Office of Family Engagement.

Kawanna Findlay, Title IX Coordinator for Employee Matters

Director of Employee Relations
130 Trinity Avenue, S.W.
Atlanta, GA 30303 404-802-2375
OffEmpRelations@apsk12.org

Workplace Investigations

Investigation Procedure

Intake: The complainant reports the incident via the Incident Intake Form or email.
Acknowledge and Protect: OER acknowledges receipt to all parties and implements protective measures to ensure safety and prevent retaliation.
Assign: The case is assigned to an investigator who develops the investigation plan.
Investigate: The assigned investigator conducts a thorough investigation and compiles an Investigation Summary Report.
Review: The Employee Relations Director reviews the draft report for accuracy and provides guidance.
2nd Level Review: Documents are submitted to senior leadership for review and approval.
Finalize: Upon approval, the investigator finalizes the case.
Inform: OER informs all parties of the outcomes and distributes Investigative Summary documents via Open Records protocol.

Note: Files are retained for a minimum of ten years based on legal and regulatory recommendations.

Diagram of the Incident Investigation Process

Complaints & Grievances

The Atlanta Board of Education Policy GAE: Complaints and Grievances provides guidance on the definitions and exclusions related to complaints and grievances.
- Complaint: A claim made by a school system employee who believes their employment relationship has been negatively affected by an alleged violation, misinterpretation, or misapplication of statutes, policies, rules, regulations, or written agreements that the school system must follow.
- Grievance: A formal complaint regarding a specific policy violation that can be resolved at the lowest possible administrative level through the process outlined in Board policy. You can file a grievance if you believe the district has wronged or treated you unfairly.
We understand that filing a complaint or grievance can be a challenging process. We are here to support you and advocate for your rights. If you have any questions about our complaints and grievance processes, please don't hesitate to contact our office by emailing OffEmpRelations@apsk12.org or calling 404-802-2345.

Grievance / Appeal Levels
Process

Grievance / Appeal Levels

The Process to File a Complaint or Grievance

Time Bound Requirement

Step 1: Present the grievance in writing to the immediate supervisor within 10 days of the alleged act or most recent incident.

Grievance/Appeal Steps

Step 2.1: Level One/Administrator

Must hear the case and respond within 5 days.

Step 2.2: Level Two/Central Office Administrator

If dissatisfied with the level one outcome, file an appeal within 10 days.
The Central Office Administrator has 10 days to hear the case and respond.

Step 2.3: Level Three/Board of Education (BOE)

If dissatisfied with the level two outcome, file an appeal within 10 days.
The BOE, through the Office of Employee Relations, has 25 days to hear the case and respond.

Final Decision

Step 3: The final decision is provided in writing within 5 days of the hearing.

Total time from first written grievance to final decision: not more than 60 days.
If dissatisfied with the investigation outcome, file a level three appeal within 10 working days.
If referred to the Office of Internal Compliance, the time limit is stayed until resolution.

Process

File Grievance: Employee present grievance in writing to immediate supervisor within 10 days of the incident.

Level 1: Administrator must hear the case and respond within 5 days.

Level 2:

Employee: 1 O days to file appeal
Central Office Administrator: 10 days to hear case and respond

Level 3:

Employee: 10 days to file appeal
Board of Education: 25 days to hear case and respond

Diagram of File a Grievance Process Levels