"This form is different from the 'Williams Complaint Form' which is used for complaints regarding school facilities." Not many students that are harassed or discriminated against in schools are aware of their resources and many don't have the chance to read the statement above in the complaint section of the California Department of Education's website.
When students are bullied and harassed, they often don't tell anyone about it and when they do report, they are bombarded by bureaucracy and logistics. The Uniform Complaint Form created and supplied by the by the CA Department of Education is available for all students to use, but not many students are aware that is it is out there.
Similar to the Williams Complaint Form that was instituted after Williams v. State of California, the Uniform Complaint Form is a part of the Uniform Complaint Procedures for the CA Dept. of Ed. However, do not be mistaken, these forms are not interchangeable. The Williams Complaint Form is specifically for issues that students have when it comes to their school facilities. The Uniform Complaint Form supplied by the CA. Dept. of Ed. is specific to reporting bullying and harassment in schools, specifically students that fall into the protected categories, whether actual or perceived, of the nondiscrimination policies of the California Education Code.
Some students have reported being given the wrong information by their administration, either knowingly or unknowingly. The common thread through both scenarios is the responsibility of protecting our students from unlawful bullying and harassment while empowering them to fill out the appropriate complaint forms to prevent the cycle from continuing.
