FILE:  JCDAF

 

THREATS, HARASSMENT, BULLYING, CYBERBULLYING AND INTIMIDATION

 

 

The Vermilion Parish School Board’s duty is to maintain a learning environment that is free from threats, harassment, bullying, cyberbullying and intimidation.  The School Board prohibits any and all forms of threats, harassment, bullying, cyberbullying and intimidation under any circumstances while in school, on the school bus, or participating in school-related activities; or, in the case of cyberbullying, actions off school property (see definition of cyberbullying).

 

Threats, harassment, bullying and intimidation means:

 

  1. A pattern of any one or more of the following:

 

  1. Gestures, including but not limited to obscene gestures and making faces.

  2. Written, electronic, or verbal communications, including but not limited to calling names, threatening harm, taunting, malicious teasing, or spreading untrue rumors.  Electronic communications or image transmitted by email, instant message, text message, blog, or social networking website through the use of a telephone, mobile phone, pager, computer, or other electronic device.

  3. Physical acts, including but not limited to hitting, kicking, pushing, tripping, choking, damaging personal property, or unauthorized use of personal property.

  4. Repeatedly and purposefully shunning or excluding from activities.

  1.    A.    Where the pattern of behavior as provided in Paragraph (1) of this Subsection is exhibited toward a student, more than once, by another student or group of students and occurs, or is received by, a student while on school property, at a school-sponsored or school-related function or activity, in any school bus or van, at any designated school bus stop, in any other school or private  vehicle used to transport students to and from schools, or any school-sponsored activity or event.

 

B.     The pattern of behavior as provided in Paragraph (1) of this Subsection must have the effect of physically harming a student, placing the student in reasonable fear of physical harm, damaging a student's property, placing the student in reasonable fear of damage to the student's property, or must be sufficiently severe, persistent, and pervasive enough to either create an intimidating or threatening educational environment, have the effect of substantially interfering with a student's performance in school, or have the effect of substantially disrupting the orderly operation of the school.

 

Cyberbullying shall mean harassment, intimidation, or bullying of a student on school property by another student using a computer, mobile phone, or other interactive or digital technology or harassment, intimidation, or bullying of a student while off school property by another student using any such means when the action or actions are intended to have an effect on the student when the student is on school property.

 

Reporting Procedure

 

Any student who believes he or she has been a victim of threats, harassment, bullying, cyberbullying or intimidation by another student is encouraged to immediately report the incident to the principal or his/her designee.  During the course of the investigation the student shall provide a written statement to the principal or designee.

 

Adopted:  September 15, 2016

 

 

Ref:    20 USC 1232 (g-i) (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act)

La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§14:40.3, 14:40.7, 14:403, 17:105, 17:105.1, 17:183, 17:416, 17:416.1, 17:416.13

La. Children’s Code Art. 609, Art. 730, Art. 731

Davis v. Monroe County Board of Education, 119 S. Ct. 1661 (1991)

Board minutes, 9-15-16

 

Vermilion Parish School Board