The Williams Settlement

UESF News

The Williams Settlement Overview and Forms Note: If you have any questions regarding how to file a Willaims Complaint, or are preparing to file a complaint, please contact your UESF Staff Representative at 956-8373. Overview On May 17, 2000 the ACLU, along with other civil rights organizations, filed a lawsuit against the state of California because of the terrible conditions in many of its public schools. In August 2004, a settlement was announced requiring that all students have books and that their schools be clean and safe. The legislation implementing the Williams settlement requires that every school district provide a uniform complaint process for complaints regarding insufficient instructional materials, unsafe or unhealthy facility conditions, and teacher vacancies and mis-assignments. Complaints are filed with your school principal, who must investigate and fix the problem within 30 working days, or forward the complaint to the school district if he/she cannot fix it. The district must then provide a solution within 30 working days of receiving the complaint. Please read this brochure before filing a complaint. It provides a fuller overview of the Williams Settlement, and the complaint process. Also, please review all of the forms provided below. Forms Williams Uniform Complaint Form - Form provided by SFUSD to file a Williams Complaint. You can also use this form provided by the ACLU. Required Classroom Posting - By law, this notice must be posted in each classroom describing your rights to file a Williams Complaint. Restroom Complaint Form - If you have a specific problem with a restroom at your school or worksite, it may be a violation of Section 35292.5 of the Education Code. Use this form to submit a complaint. For more information, click here. For more information about the Willaims Settlement, and the Williams Complaint process, go todecentschools.org.