Purpose
The Board believes that all students have a right to a safe and healthy school environment.  The Board, administration, staff, and the community have an obligation to promote mutual respect, tolerance, and acceptance.  The Board will not tolerate behavior that infringes on the safety of any student.  Accordingly, no student shall intimidate or harass another student through words or actions.  As such, the Board directs the superintendent and the administration to develop rules and procedures, which carry out the provisions of this policy.

Definition
Bullying is defined as the repeated and systematic harassment or attacks on another student, perpetrated by a student or group of students, in school, on school grounds, in school vehicles, to or from school, or at school sponsored activities or sanctioned events and that has the effect of:

1. physically harming a student or damaging a student's property;
2. knowingly placing a student in reasonable fear of physical harm to the student or damage to the student's property; or
3. placing severe mental or emotional distress upon the student.

Hazing is defined as any action or situation:

1. which recklessly or intentionally endangers the mental or physical health or safety of a student or
2. which willfully destroys or removes public or private property for the purpose of initiation or admission into or affiliation with, or as a condition for continued membership in, any organization operating under the sanction of or recognized as an organization by an institution of higher education.
3. The term shall include, but not be limited to, any brutality of a physical nature, such as whipping, beating, branding, forced calisthenics, exposure to the elements, forced consumption of any food, liquor, drug or other substance, or any other forced physical activity which could adversely affect the physical health and safety of the individual,
4. and shall include any activity which would subject the individual to extreme mental stress, such as sleep deprivation, forced exclusion from social contact, forced conduct which could result in extreme embarrassment, or any other forced activity which could adversely affect the mental health or dignity of the individual, or any willful destruction or removal of public or private property.

For purposes of this definition, any activity as described in this definition upon which the initiation or admission into or affiliation with or continued membership in an organization is directly or indirectly conditioned shall be presumed to be "forced" activity, the willingness of an individual to participate in such activity notwithstanding.

Reporting and Investigation
Students and/or staff are expected to immediately report incidents of bullying/hazing to the principal or designee.  The administration promptly will investigate all reports (anonymous or not) to determine the action required.  Written notice will be provided to the parents/guardians of a child involved in a verified act of bullying/hazing.  The notice will describe the school’s response and any consequences that may result from further acts of bullying/hazing.

Intervention
The procedures for intervening in bullying/hazing behavior will include, but are not limited to the following:

1. All staff, students and their parents will receive a summary of this policy prohibiting bullying/hazing at the beginning of the school year, as part of the student handbook and the Student Code of Conduct.
2. Staff will make reasonable efforts to keep confidential a report of bullying/hazing and the results of the investigation.
3. Staff are expected to immediately intervene when they see a bullying/hazing incident occur.  People witnessing or experiencing bullying/hazing are encouraged to report the incident; such reporting will not reflect adversely on the victim or witnesses.

The Student Code of Conduct will include provisions that:

1. Any student who engages in bullying/hazing will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including expulsion and/or referral to law enforcement officials.
2. Students are expected to immediately report incidents of bullying/hazing to the principal or designee.
3. Students can rely on staff to promptly investigate each complaint of bullying/hazing in a thorough and confidential manner.
4. If the complainant student or the parent of the student feels that appropriate resolution of the investigation or complaint has not been reached, the student or the parent of the student may contact the Superintendent or designee.  The Board prohibits retaliatory behavior against any complainant or any participant in the complaint process.