Cambria-Friesland School DistrictChapter Code:GBAA/JBA
Board of Education PolicyOriginal Board Policy
Harassment/Bullying
Sexual Harassment
In order to maintain a school environment that encourages optimum human growth and development for its students and employees, it is the policy of the Cambria-Friesland School District to maintain and ensure a learning and working environment for all personnel and students that is free of harassment or intimidation based upon race, religion, national origin or other status protected under Title VII and the Fair Employment Act.
Any person who believes he/she has been harassed may file a complaint in accordance with procedures established for dealing with discrimination.
Sexual harassment is defined for purposes of this policy as:
A.Unwelcome or unwanted sexual advances. This includes patting, pinching, brushing up against, hugging, cornering, kissing, fondling, or any other similar physical contact which is considered unacceptable by another individual.
B.Requests or demands for sexual favors. This includes subtle or blatant expectations, pressures or requests for any type of sexual favor accompanied by an implied or stated promise of preferential treatment or negative consequence concerning one’s employment status (for employees) and one’s student/academic status (for students).
C.Verbal abuse or joking that is sexually oriented and considered unacceptable by another individual. This includes commenting about an individual’s body or appearance where such comments go beyond mere courtesy; telling “dirty jokes” that are unwanted and considered offensive by others; or any other sexually oriented comments, innuendos and actions that offend others.
D.Engaging in any type of sexually oriented conduct that would interfere with the activities of an individual. This includes extending unwanted sexual attentions to someone such that personal productivity is reduced.
E.Creating an environment that is intimidating, hostile or offensive because of unwelcome or unwanted sexually oriented conversations, suggestions, requests, demands, physical contacts or attentions and because of the existence at the school site of sexually oriented materials including, but not limited to, photographs and posters.
An employee/student who believes he/she has been the subject of harassment should report the matter as soon as possible to his/her principal. If the employee/student believes that their principal is involved in the harassment, the matter should be brought to the immediate attention of the superintendent. If the employee/student believes that the superintendent is involved in the harassment, the matter shall be brought to the attention of the principal/designee. An investigation will be undertaken to determine the facts.
After appropriate investigation, any supervisor or other employee found to have harassed another employee/student and any student found to have harassed another student/employee will be subject to appropriate sanctions. Depending upon all circumstances, such sanctions could include appropriate disciplinary action, termination of employment (for employees) and legal consequences brought by the victim through related criminal and/or civil charges.
Whether a particular action or incident is a purely personal, social matter without a discriminatory effect requires a factual determination based on the facts. False accusations of sexual harassment can have serious adverse effects. The board expects all employees/students to act honestly and responsibly in complying with and enforcing this policy. Retaliation against persons who make harassment complaints or assist in bringing them will not be tolerated. It is the board’s desire to continue providing a pleasant working environment for all employees/students, free of harassment.
It is the intention of the board that confidentiality be maintained to the maximum extent possible in investigation of the allegations of harassment.
Bullying
Introduction
The Cambria-Friesland School District shall strive to provide a safe, secure, and respectful learning environment for all persons in school buildings, on school buses, and at school-sponsored activities. Bullying has a harmful social, physical, psychological, and academic impact on the bullies, the victims, and the bystanders. The district will consistently and vigorously address bullying so that there is no disruption to the learning environment and learning process.
Definition
Bullying is deliberate or intentional behavior using words or actions, intended to cause fear, intimidation, or harm. Bullying may be repeated behavior and involve an imbalance of power. The behavior may be motivated by an actual or perceived distinguishing characteristic, such as but not limited to: age, color, national origin, race, religion, gender, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, physical attributes, physical or mental ability or disability, social or family status.
Bullying behavior can be:
●Physical (e.g. assault, hitting, kicking, theft)
●Verbal (e.g. threatening or intimidating language, name-calling, racist remarks)
●Indirect (e.g. spreading cruel rumors, social exclusion and isolation, using technology in a hurtful manner – electronic aggression commonly referred to as cyber bullying)
●Between students and students, students and adults, or adults and adults
Prohibition
Bullying behavior is prohibited in all schools, buildings, property, and educational environments, including any property or vehicle owned, leased, or used by the school district. Educational environments include, but are not limited to the following misuses of technology: harassing, teasing, intimidating, threatening, or terrorizing another person or group of people by sending or posting inappropriate and hurtful e-mail messages, instant messages, text messages, digital pictures or images, or website postings, including blogs or any other messages via cyberspace. Cyberspace is defined as “a global domain within the information environment consisting of the interdependent network of information technology infrastructures, including the Internet, telecommunications networks, computer systems, and embedded processors and controllers.”
In situations in which the bullying or cyber-bullying originated off school property or from a non-school computer, but is brought to the attention of school officials, any disciplinary action shall be based upon whether the conduct is determined to be disruptive of the educational process so that it impedes the day to day operations of the school. Such conduct includes, but is not limited to, harassment, bullying or making a threat off school grounds or through cyber-space that is intended to endanger the health, safety or property of others at school, students, a District employee, or a school board member.
Prevention
It is the responsibility of the district to prevent harassment and bullying throughout the entirety of the district. Prevention efforts on the part of the district will not be limited to the instructional day. Cambria-Friesland School District understands that all student activities, curricular, co-curricular, community related or otherwise are opportunities for positive or negative social interaction.
Prevention Plan
Shall include but not be limited to:
A.Student Climate Survey
1.In fall and spring of every school year, the Cambria-Friesland School
District will administer a climate survey to students to gather data on
perceptions of student to student and student to adult bullying and
harassment.
B.Annual – Citizenship Plan
1.Cambria-Friesland School District will adopt a comprehensive
Citizenship Plan with implementation no later than the first day of the
2016-2017 school year. This plan will be have the following
components:
●Elementary – Age appropriate expectations for good citizenship
●Middle School – Age appropriate expectations for good citizenship
●High School – Age appropriate expectations for good citizenship
●District – Board approved
●School and Community – Good Citizenship
2.This citizenship plan will be correlated to district behavioral, AODA, and
Mental Health initiatives including but not limited to: PBIS, etc.
3.The district will develop tools to measure the effectiveness the district
Citizenship Plan.
4.Anti-Bullying and Harassment Committee
●Student, staff, community and administration and one community member will comprise the Anti-Bullying and Harassment Committee.
●Standing members of the committee will be:
●1 Administrator
●2-3 Students
●1 Teacher
●1 School Counselor
●1 Parent or Community Member
5.The committee will meet quarterly to address;
●Issues of current or potential bullying/harassment
●Review the Citizenship Plan, its goals and provide recommendations to the administration when necessary.
6.The committee will provide to the administration an annual end of school
year report:
Education that details:
●An overview of the committee’s work throughout the school year
●Recommendations that define areas of need in addressing issues of bullying andor harassment in the district.
7. The Administration will provide a report to the Board of Education that:
●Reflects the committee’s findings
●Provide appropriate changes if determined necessary to continue to address good citizenship within the district.
Procedure for Reporting/Retaliation
It is the responsibility of all school staff members, students, and concerned individuals who observe or become aware of acts of bullying to report these acts confidentially to a school staff member or administrator or his/her designate to be a recipient of such reports. All such reports, either verbal or in writing are to be taken seriously and a clear account of the incident is to be documented. There shall be no retaliation against individuals making such reports. Individuals engaging in retaliatory behavior will be subject to disciplinary action.
Procedure for Investigating Reports of Bullying
An investigation to determine the facts will take place in a timely manner to verify the validity and the seriousness of the report. Parents and/or guardians will be notified that a report has been made. The district shall keep the complaint confidential to the extent permitted by law for both the accused and the accuser, until such time as the misconduct is confirmed and sanctions are imposed.
Sanctions and Supports
If it is determined that students participated in bullying behavior in violation of the policy, the principal or his/her designee may take disciplinary action including suspension, expulsion and/or referral to law enforcement officials for possible legal action as appropriate.
Employees found to have participated in bullying behavior or having become aware that bullying was taking place and failed to report the behavior, are considered to be in violation of the prohibition expressed by the policy. They may be subject to disciplinary action consistent with the collective bargaining agreement or disciplinary action established by policy or practice.
Disclosure and Public Reporting
The policy will be annually distributed to all students enrolled in the school district, their parents and/or guardians, and employees of the district. Distribution may include access to the policy via the district website. It will also be distributed to organizations in the community having cooperative agreements with the schools. The school district will also provide a copy of the policy to any person who requests it.
Records will be maintained by the District Secretary on the number and types of reports made, and sanctions imposed for incidents found to be in violation of the bullying policy.
Approved: April 26, 1993
Revised: April 22, 1996
June 28, 2010
November 23, 2015
Reviewed by Board: February 28, 2005
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