Bullying Policy
Anti-Bullying Rules
- We will not bully others
- We will help students who are bullied
- We will include students who are left out.
- If we know a student who is bullied, we will tell an adult at school and at home.
OLWEUS Bullying Prevention Overview
Policy
Purpose
The Board is committed to providing a safe, positive learning environment for district students. The Board recognizes that bullying creates an atmosphere of fear and intimidation, detracts from the safe environment necessary for student learning, and may lead to more serious violence. Therefore, the Board prohibits bullying by district students.
Definitions
Bullying means an intentional electronic, written, verbal or physical act or series of acts directed at another student or students, which occurs in a school setting and/or outside a school setting, that is severe, persistent or pervasive and has the effect of doing any of the following:[1]
- Substantial interference with a student’s education.
- Creation of a threatening environment.
- Substantial disruption of the orderly operation of the school.
For purposes of this policy, bullying includes any acts put upon another student which make it difficult for a would-be victim to defend him/herself such as hitting, spreading false rumors, and/or not letting someone be a part of a group.
Bullying, as defined in this policy, includes cyberbullying.
School setting means in the school, on school grounds, in school vehicles, at a designated bus stop or at any activity sponsored, supervised or sanctioned by the school.[1]
Authority
The Board prohibits all forms of bullying by district students.[1]
The Board encourages students who have been bullied to promptly report such incidents to the building principal or designee.
The Board directs that complaints of bullying shall be investigated promptly, and corrective action shall be taken when allegations are verified. Confidentiality of all parties shall be maintained, consistent with the district’s legal and investigative obligations. No reprisals or retaliation shall occur as a result of good faith reports of bullying.
Delegation of Responsibility
Each student shall be responsible to respect the rights of others and to ensure an atmosphere free from bullying.
The district expects staff members who observe or become aware of an act of bullying to take immediate, appropriate steps to intervene, unless intervention would be a threat to a staff member’s safety.
The Superintendent or designee shall develop administrative regulations to implement this policy.
The Superintendent or designee shall ensure that this policy and administrative regulations are reviewed annually with students.[1]
The Superintendent or designee, in cooperation with other appropriate administrators, shall review this policy every three (3) years and recommend necessary revisions to the Board.[1]
District administration shall annually provide the following information with the Safe School Report:[1]
- Board’s Bullying Policy.
- Report of bullying incidents.
- Information on the development and implementation of any bullying prevention, intervention or education programs.
Guidelines
The Code of Student Conduct, which shall contain this policy, shall be disseminated annually to students in all school buildings.[1][2][3]
This policy shall be accessible in every classroom. The policy shall be posted in a prominent location within each school building and on the district website, if available.[1]
Education
The district may develop and implement bullying prevention and intervention programs. Such programs shall provide district staff and students with appropriate training for effectively responding to, intervening in and reporting incidents of bullying.[4][1][5]
Consequences for Violations
A student who violates this policy shall be subject to appropriate disciplinary action consistent with the Code of Student Conduct, which may include:[1][3][6]
- Counseling within the school.
- Parental conference.
- Loss of school privileges.
- Transfer to another school classroom or school bus.
- Exclusion from school-sponsored activities.
- Detention.
- Suspension.
- Expulsion.
- Counseling/Therapy outside of school.
- Referral to law enforcement officials.
Purpose
The Board strives to provide a safe, positive learning climate for students in the schools. Therefore, it shall be the policy of the district to maintain an educational environment in which harassment in any form is not tolerated.
Authority
The Board prohibits all forms of unlawful harassment of students and third parties by all district students and staff members, contracted individuals, vendors, volunteers, and third parties in the schools. The Board encourages students and third parties who have been harassed to promptly report such incidents to the designated employees.[1][2][3]
The Board directs that complaints of harassment shall be investigated promptly, and corrective action be taken when allegations are substantiated. Confidentiality of all parties shall be maintained, consistent with the district’s legal and investigative obligations.
No reprisals nor retaliation shall occur as a result of good faith charges of harassment.
Definitions
For purposes of this policy, harassment shall consist of verbal, written, graphic or physical conduct relating to an individual’s race, color, national origin/ethnicity, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation or religion when such conduct:[3]
Is sufficiently severe, persistent or pervasive that it affects an individual’s ability to participate in or benefit from an educational program or activity or creates an intimidating, threatening or abusive educational environment.
Has the purpose or effect of substantially or unreasonably interfering with an individual’s academic performance.
Otherwise adversely affects an individual’s learning opportunities.
For purposes of this policy, sexual harassment shall consist of unwelcome sexual advances; requests for sexual favors; and other inappropriate verbal, written, graphic or physical conduct of a sexual nature when:[4]
Submission to such conduct is made explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of a student’s academic status.
Submission to or rejection of such conduct is used as the basis for academic or work decisions affecting the individual.
Such conduct deprives a student of educational aid, benefits, services or treatment.
Such conduct is sufficiently severe, persistent or pervasive that it has the purpose or effect of substantially interfering with the student’s school performance or creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive educational environment.
Examples of conduct that may constitute sexual harassment include but are not limited to sexual flirtations, advances, rumors, touching or propositions; verbal abuse of a sexual nature; sexually graphic or suggestive comments; sexually degrading words to describe an individual; jokes; pin-ups; calendars; objects; graffiti; drawings; pictures; written materials; innuendoes; references to sexual activities; overt sexual conduct or gestures; circulating or showing emails or websites of a sexual nature; or any conduct that has the effect of unreasonably interfering with a student’s ability to work or learn or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive learning or working environment.
Delegation of Responsibility
In order to maintain an educational environment that discourages and prohibits unlawful harassment, the Board designates the Superintendent as the district’s Compliance Officer.[5]
The Compliance Officer shall publish and disseminate this policy and the complaint procedure at least annually to students, parents/guardians, employees, independent contractors, vendors, and the public. The publication shall include the position, office address and telephone number of the Compliance Officer.
The administration shall be responsible to provide training for students and employees regarding all aspects of unlawful harassment.
Each staff member shall be responsible to maintain an educational environment free from all forms of unlawful harassment.
Each student shall be responsible to respect the rights of their fellow students and district employees and to ensure an atmosphere free from all forms of unlawful harassment.
The building principal or designee shall be responsible to complete the following duties when receiving a complaint of unlawful harassment:
Inform the student or third party of the right to file a complaint and the complaint procedure.
Inform the complainant that s/he may be accompanied by a parent/guardian during all steps of the complaint procedure.
Notify the complainant and the accused of the progress at appropriate stages of the procedure.
Refer the complainant to the Compliance Officer if the building principal is the subject of the complaint.
Guidelines
Complaint Procedure – Student/Third Party
Step 1 – Reporting
A student or third party who believes s/he has been subject to conduct that constitutes a violation of this policy is encouraged to immediately report the incident to the building principal or a district employee.
A school employee who suspects or is notified that a student has been subject to conduct that constitutes a violation of this policy shall immediately report the incident to the building principal.
If the building principal is the subject of a complaint, the student, third party or employee shall report the incident directly to the Compliance Officer.
The complainant or reporting employee is encouraged to use the report form available from the building principal, but oral complaints shall be acceptable.
Step 2 – Investigation
Upon receiving a complaint of unlawful harassment, the building principal shall immediately notify the Compliance Officer. The Compliance Officer shall authorize the building principal to investigate the complaint, unless the building principal is the subject of the complaint or is unable to conduct the investigation.
The investigation may consist of individual interviews with the complainant, the accused, and others with knowledge relative to the incident. The investigator may also evaluate any other information and materials relevant to the investigation.
The obligation to conduct this investigation shall not be negated by the fact that a criminal investigation of the incident is pending or has been concluded.
Step 3 – Investigative Report
The building principal shall prepare and submit a written report to the Compliance Officer within fifteen (15) days, unless additional time to complete the investigation is required. The report shall include a summary of the investigation, a determination of whether the complaint has been substantiated as factual and whether it is a violation of this policy, and a recommended disposition of the complaint.
The complainant and the accused shall be informed of the outcome of the investigation, including the recommended disposition of the complaint.
Step 4 – District Action
If the investigation results in a finding that the complaint is factual and constitutes a violation of this policy, the district shall take prompt, corrective action to ensure that such conduct ceases and will not recur. District staff shall document the corrective action taken and, where not prohibited by law, inform the complainant.
Disciplinary actions shall be consistent with the Code of Student Conduct, Board policies and district procedures, applicable collective bargaining agreements, and state and federal laws, and may include educational activities and/or counseling services.
If it is concluded that a student has knowingly made a false complaint under this policy, such student shall be subject to disciplinary action.
Appeal Procedure
If the complainant is not satisfied with a finding of no violation of the policy or with the recommended corrective action, s/he may submit a written appeal to the Compliance Officer within fifteen (15) days.
The Compliance Officer shall review the investigation and the investigative report and may also conduct a reasonable investigation.
The Compliance Officer shall prepare a written response to the appeal within fifteen (15) days. Copies of the response shall be provided to the complainant, the accused and the building principal who conducted the initial investigation.
The Compliance Officer may confirm, refuse or modify any finding or corrective action as part of the appeal procedure.