Discrimination/Harassment (Sexual, Racial, Ethnic, Religious)
Students shall be provided a learning environment free from sexual, racial, ethnic, and religious discrimination/harassment.1 It shall be a violation of this policy for any employee or any student to discriminate against or harass a student through disparaging conduct or communication that is sexual, racial, ethnic, or religious in nature. The following guidelines are set forth to protect students from discrimination/harassment.
Student discrimination/harassment will not be tolerated.2 Discrimination/harassment is defined as conduct, advances, gestures, or words either written or spoken of s sexual, racial, ethnic, or religious nature which:
1. Unreasonably interfere with a student's work or educational opportunities; or
2. Create an intimidating, hostile or offensive learning environment; or
3. Imply that submission to such conduct is made an explicit or implicit term of receiving grades or credit; or
4. Imply that submission to or rejection of such conduct will be used as a basis for dtermining the student's grades and/or participation in a student activity
Bullying/Intimidation
Students shall be provided a safe learning environment. It shall be a violation of this policy for any student to bully, intimidate, or create a hostile educational environment for another student. Bullying and intimidation are defined as either physically harming a student or damaging his/her property, or knowingly placing the student in reasonable fear of such, or creating a hostile educational environment. The policy addresses conduct taking place on school grounds, at any school-sponsored activity, on school-provided transportation, or at any official school bus stop immediately before boarding and immediately following deboarding.3
Alleged victims of the above-referenced offenses shall report these incidents immediately to a teacher, counselor, or building administrator.4 Any allegations shall be investigated by the director of schools, the building principal, or his/her designee.
The privacy and anonymity of all parties and witnesses to complaints will be respected. However, because an individual's need for confidentiality must be balanced with obligations to cooperate with police investigations or legal proceedings, to provide due process to the accused, to conduct a thorough investigation, or to take necessary action to resolve a complaint, the identity of parties and witnesses may be disclosed in appropriate circumstances to individuals with a need to know.
A substantiated charge against an employee shall result in disciplinary action up to and including termination. A substantiated charge against a student may result in corrective or disciplinary action up to and including suspension.
There will be no retaliation against any person who reports harassment or participates in an investigation. However, any employee who refuses to cooperate or gives false information during the course of any investigation may be subject to disciplinary action. The willful filing of a false report will itself be considered harassment and will be treated as such.
Any student or employee disciplines for violation of this policy may appeal the decision in accordance with disciplinary policies and procedures.
This policy shall be published in the parent/student handbook distributed annually to every student.
Building administrators are responsible for educating and training their respective staff and students as to the definition and recognition of discrimination/harassment.
District
High School
Middle School
Elementary School
Multiple Events
