I. Initiations, Hazing, Bullying or Harassment
Harassment, bullying, and abuse are violations of District policies, rules and regulations and, in some cases, may also be a violation of criminal or other laws. The district has the authority to report students violating this rule to law enforcement officials.
Harassment and bullying may include, but are not limited to, the following behaviors and circumstances:
- Verbal, nonverbal, physical or written harassment, bullying, hazing or other victimization that have the purpose or effect of causing injury, discomfort, fear or suffering to the victim;
- Repeated remarks of a demeaning nature that have the purpose or effect of causing injury, discomfort, fear or suffering to the victim;
- Implied or explicit threats concerning one's grades, achievements, property, etc. that have the purpose or effect of causing injury, discomfort, fear or suffering to the victim;
- Demeaning jokes, stories or activities directed at the student that have the purpose or effect of causing injury, discomfort, fear or suffering to the victim; and/or
- Unreasonable interference with a student's performance or creation of an intimidating, offensive or hostile learning environment.
Sexual harassment means unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors or other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when these conditions are present:
- Submission to the conduct is made either implicitly or explicitly a term or condition of the student’s education or benefits;
- Submission to or rejection of the conduct by a school employee is used as the basis for academic decisions affecting that student; or
- The conduct has the purpose or effect of substantially interfering with the student’s academic performance by creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive education environment.
In situations between students and school officials, faculty, staff or volunteers who have direct contact with students, bullying and harassment may also include the following behaviors:
- Requiring that a student submit to bullying or harassment by another student, either explicitly or implicitly, as a term or condition of the targeted student’s education or participation in school programs or activities; and/or
- Requiring submission to or rejection of such conduct as a basis for decisions affecting the student.
Harassment and bullying includes any electronic, written, verbal or physical act or conduct toward a student which is based on any actual or perceived trait or characteristic of the student and which creates an objectively hostile school environment that meets one or more of the following conditions:
- Places the student in reasonable fear of harm to the student’s person or property;
- Has a substantially detrimental effect on the student’s physical or mental health;
- Has the effect of substantially interfering with the student’s academic performance; or
- Has the effect of substantially interfering with the student’s ability to participate in or benefit from the services, activities or privileges provided by a school.
“Electronic” means any communication involving the transmission of information by wire, radio, optical cable, electromagnetic or other similar means. “Electronic” includes but is not limited to communication via electronic mail, internet-based communications, pager service, cell phones, electronic text messaging or similar technologies.
II. Procedures
Students who feel that they have been harassed or bullied should do the following:
- Communicate to the harasser that the individual expects the behavior to stop, if the individual is comfortable doing so. If the individual wants assistance communicating with the harasser, the individual should ask a teacher, counselor, principal or another appropriate school employee to help.
- If the harassment does not stop, or the individual does not feel comfortable confronting the harasser, the individual should do the following:
- Tell a teacher, counselor, principal or another appropriate school employee; and
- Write down exactly what happened, keep a copy and give another copy to the teacher, counselor, principal or another appropriate school employee including these facts:
- what, when, and where it happened;
- who was involved;
- exactly what was said or what the harasser did;
- witnesses to the harassment;
- what the student said or did, either at the time or later;
- how the student felt; and
- how the harasser responded.
Approved: 10/16/14
Reviewed: FY 2015-2016, March 14, 2016, May 24,2021
Revised: 02/24/17