West Rusk Elementary
2007-2008
Student Handbook
&
Code of Conduct
Student Handbook and
Code of Conduct
Student Handbook
Preface
Board and
Administration
Assemblies
Attendance
Birth Certificate
Bus Regulations
Cafeteria Services
Cheating/Plagiarism/Dishonesty
Communicable Diseases
Complaints
Computer Use
Conduct
Conferences
Corporal Punishment
Counseling
Credit by Examination
Distractions
Dress Code
Drills
Emergency Evacuation
Emergency Closing
Emergency Medical
Treatment
Extracurricular
Fees
Freedom from
Discrimination
Fund Raising
Government Authorities
Grading
Health & Safety
Honor Roll
Immunization
Insurance
Library
Lockers and Desk
Medicine at School
Obtaining Information
Parent Involvement
Parties and Social
Events
Physical Fitness
Assessment
Pledges
Posters
Promotion and
Retention
Privacy
Records
Release from School
Reports to Parents
School Facilities
Services for Students with Disabilities
Social Security
Special Programs
Student Records
Special Education Records
Right to Pray
Testing
Textbooks
Travel
Tutorials
Vandalism
Videotape/Recording
Vehicles
Visitors
Withdrawing
Student Success Initiative
Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
Students Needing Special Education
Asbestos
Readiness Instrument
Bacterial Meningitis
Student
Code of Conduct
Standards
Violations
Removal
a. Suspension or DAEP
b. Expulsion
Glossary
PREFACE
The
West Rusk Elementary School Student Handbook contains information students and
parents are likely to need to ensure a successful school year. The handbook is organized alphabetically by
topic. Throughout the handbook, the term
"the student's parent" means parent, legal guardian, or other person
who has agreed to assume school-related responsibility for a student.
Students
and parents also need to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct, which
sets out the consequences for inappropriate behavior. The Student Code of Conduct is required by
state law, and is intended to promote school safety and an atmosphere for
learning. This document may be found at
the back of this handbook.
West Rusk Alma Mater
May you ever walk on
with spirits unveiled;
When our minds are on you,
our hearts with pride are swelled.
Our treasures blue and white
will fly up high in the sky:
We will be with you
through victories true
for
WEST RUSK HIGH.
School Colors:
WEST RUSK
BOARD OF TRUSTEES:
Mr. Curtis Reddic President
Mr. Kenneth Copeland Vice President
Mrs. Sandra Smith Secretary
Mr. Don Bates Member
Mr. Jerry Brown Member
Mr. Jerry Waldon Member
Mr. Will Sudweeks Member
ADMINISTRATION:
Mike King Superintendent
Gwen Gilliam Elementary
School Principal
Amanda Johns Counselor
Don Thompson Registered
Nurse
Jerry Nicks Coordinator
of Special Programs
TELEPHONE NUMBERS:
Superintendent/Central
Administration Office 895-4503
Elementary School Office 895-4803
School website address www.westrusk.esc7.net
TIME SCHEDULE:
Students
will not arrive before 7:30 AM.
7:30-7:55 Breakfast
8:00 Classes
begin
11:00-11:55 Lunches
3:15 Parent
pick-up
3:30 Bus
dismissal
LUNCH AND BREAKFAST PRICE SCHEDULE
Lunch:
High School
(6-12) $1.75
Elementary
(PK-5) $1.25
Reduced (PK -
12) $ .40
Breakfast:
All schools
(PK-12) $ .50
Reduced (PK -
12) $ .30
Extra
Milk All schools (PK - 12) $ .25
Meat .75
Dessert .40
Vegetable .35
West
Rusk County Consolidated Independent School District does not discriminate on
the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability in
providing education or providing access to benefits of education services,
activities, and programs, including vocational programs in accordance with Title
VI of the Civil Rights Acts of 1964, as amended; Title IX of the Educational
Amendments of 1972; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended;
and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Services are also provided for Homeless Children
and Youth and Parent Involvement dealing with Title I programs.
ASSEMBLIES
A student's conduct in assemblies must meet the same standard as in the
classroom. A student who is tardy or who
engages in inappropriate conduct during an assembly will be subject to
disciplinary action.
ATTENDANCE
Regular school attendance is essential for the student to make the most
of his or her education to benefit from teacher-led and school activities, to
build each day's learning on that of the previous day’s, and to grow as an
individual.
It
is also the law in
A student between the ages of 6 and 18 must attend school and
District-required tutorial sessions unless the student is otherwise legally
exempted or excused. A student who
voluntarily attends or enrolls after his or her eighteenth birthday is required
to attend each school day. If a student
18 or older has more than five unexcused absences in a semester, the District
may revoke the student's enrollment. The
student's presence on school property thereafter is then unauthorized and may
be considered trespass. School employees
must investigate and report violations of the state compulsory attendance
law. A student absent without permission
from school, from any class, or from required tutorials, such as additional
special instruction (termed “accelerated instruction” by the state) assigned by
the grade placement committee will be considered in violation of the law and
subject to disciplinary action. A
school-age student’s deliberately not attending school may also result in
assessment of penalty by a court of law against the student and his or her
parents.
To receive credit in a class, a student must attend at least 90 percent
of the days the class is offered. The
actual number of days a student must attend in order to receive credit will
vary, depending on whether the class is for a semester or a full year. A student who attends fewer than 90 percent
of the days the class is offered cannot receive credit for the class unless the
attendance committee finds that the absences are the result of extenuating
circumstances.
If students are assigned to an accelerated reading and/or math
instruction program under state law, compulsory attendance applies. Parents will be notified in writing if their
child is assigned to an accelerated reading and/or instruction program as a
result of the reading/math diagnosis test.
When returning to school after an absence, a student must bring a note,
signed by the parent that describes the reason for the absence; a note signed
by the student, even with the parent's permission will be considered a forgery
and the student will be disciplined.
If
work is made up or completed as required by the attendance committee, the
District will accept the following as extenuating circumstances for the purpose
of granting credit for a class:
1. Board-approved
extracurricular activity or public performance, subject to established
limitations.
2. Required screenings,
diagnosis, and treatment for Medicaid-eligible students.
3. Documented health care
appointment, if the student begins classes or returns to school
on
the same day as the appointment.
4. Juvenile court proceeding
documented by a probation officer.
5. Absence required by state or
local welfare authorities.
6. Temporary absence resulting
from any cause acceptable to the teacher, principal, or
superintendent,
including personal illness, illness or death in the immediate family.
If
the attendance committee finds that there are no extenuating circumstances for
the absence or if the student does not meet the conditions set by the committee
to earn or regain credit, the student will not receive credit for the
class. If a petition for credit is
denied, the student or parent may appeal the decision to the District's Board
of Trustees by completing a written request to the Superintendent.
The
District provides the following alternative for a student to make up work or
regain credit lost because of absences:
Make-up assignments or tests shall be made available to students after
any absence. Teachers shall inform their
students of the time allotted for completing make-up work after an absence;
however, the student shall be responsible for finding out about the assignments
and for satisfactorily making up the work within the allotted time.
Repeated instances of tardiness will result in disciplinary action.
A student absent from school for any reason, other than for a
documented health care appointment, will not be allowed to participate in
school-related activities on that day or evening.
A student who must leave school during the day must bring a note from
his or her parent that morning. A
student who becomes ill during the school day should, with the teacher's
permission, report to the school nurse.
The nurse will decide whether or not the student should be sent home and
will notify the student's parent.
A student absent 5 or more consecutive days must bring a note from a
physician or health care clinic stating the nature and need for the extended
absence. After 10 consecutive days of
absence and no communication from the parent or guardian has been made, the
student will be withdrawn from school.
BIRTH CERTIFICATE
All students in the
BUS REGULATIONS
“Don’t
lose your riding privilege.” Follow
these rules!
1.
Good behavior at all times. All
school rules apply
2.
Be courteous. No profanity
3.
Do not eat or drink on the bus
4.
Keep the bus clean
5.
Obey the driver
6.
Do not be destructive
7.
Stay in y our seat
8.
Keep your head, hands, and feet inside the bus
9.
The bus driver is authorized to assign seats
10. Exit the bus at the proper
time
11. Safety first
Misconduct
will be punished in accordance with the Student Code of Conduct; bus-riding
privileges may be suspended.
CAFETERIA SERVICES
The District participates in the National School Lunch Program and
offers free and reduced-priced meals based on a student's financial need. Information about a student’s participation
is confidential. Information on the program can be obtained from the cafeteria
office.
The District follows the federal and state guidelines regarding foods
or minimal nutritional value being served or sold on school premises during the
school day.
CHEATING/PLAGIARISM/ACADEMIC DISHONESTY
Copying another person's work, such as homework, class work, or a test,
is a form of cheating. Plagiarism, which
is the use as one's own of another person's original ideas or writing without
giving credit to the true author, will also be considered cheating and the
student will be subject to academic disciplinary action that may include loss
of credit for the work in question.
Teachers who have reason to believe that a student has engaged in
cheating or other academic dishonesty will assess the academic penalty to be
imposed. Students found to have engaged
in academic dishonesty will be subject to disciplinary penalties as well,
according to the Student Code of Conduct.
COMMUNICABLE DISEASES/CONDITIONS
To protect children from contagious illnesses, students infected with
certain diseases are not allowed to come to school while contagious. If a parent suspects that his or her child
has a communicable or contagious disease, the parent should phone the school
nurse or principal so that other students who have been exposed to the disease
can be alerted. These diseases
include: Amebiasis, Campylobacteriosis,
chickenpox, common cold with fever, fifth disease (erythema infectiosum),
gastroenteritis (viral), giardiasis, head lice (pediculosis), hepatitis (viral
A), impetigo, infectious mononucleosis, influenza, measles (rebeola),
meningitis (bacterial), mumps, pinkeye (conjuctivitis) ringworm of the scalp,
rubella (German measles), salmonellosis (including typhoid fever) scabies,
shigellosis, streptococcal disease, tuberculosis (pulmonary), and whooping
cough (pertusis). Note also the
information on Bacterial Meningitis in the attached handout.
COMPLAINTS BY STUDENTS/PARENTS
Usually student or parent complaints or concerns can be addressed
simply—by a phone call or a conference with the teacher. For those complaints and concerns that cannot
be handled so easily, the District has adopted a standard complaint policy at
FNG(local) in the District’s policy manual.
A copy of this policy may be obtained from the principal’s or
superintendent’s office or at www.westrusk.esc7.net.
In
general, the student or parent should first discuss the complaint with the
campus principal. If unresolved, a
written complaint and a request for a conference should be sent to the
superintendent. If still unresolved, the
District provides for the complaint to be presented to the Board of Trustees.
COMPUTER USE
Computing facilities, local area networks, and internet access is
available to students and teachers. With
this access comes the availability of material that may not be considered of
educational value in the context of the school setting. However, on a global network, it is
impossible to control all materials, and an industrious user may discover
controversial information. We firmly
believe that the valuable information and interaction available on these
networks far outweigh the possibility that users may locate material that is
not consistent with the educational goals of West Rusk CCISD.
The following policy is included in the Student Code of Conduct to
address the acceptable use of computers and networks, including TENET and the
Internet, and applies to District employees as well as students.
1. Users shall not erase, rename, or make
unusable anyone else’s computer files, programs, or disks. 2.
Users will not let other persons use their name, logon, password, or
files for any reason (except for
authorized staff members).
3. Users shall not use or try to discover
another user's password.
4. Users shall not use West Rusk CCISD computers
or networks for any non-instructional
or administrative purpose (e.g. games or
activities for personal profit).
5.
Users must not use a computer for unlawful purposes, such as illegal
copying or
installation of software.
6. Users shall not copy, change, or transfer any
software or documentation provided by
West Rusk CCISD teachers, or another
student without permission from the campus
Teacher Technologist.
7. Users shall not write, produce, generate,
copy, propagate, or attempt to introduce any
computer code designed to self-replicate,
damage, or otherwise hinder the performance
of any computer’s memory, file system, or
software. Such software is often called
a
bug, virus, worm, Trojan Horse, or
similar name.
8.
Users shall not deliberately use the computer to annoy or harass others
with
unacceptable language, images, or
threats. Users shall not deliberately
access or
create any unacceptable, obscene or
objectionable information, language, or images.
9. Users shall not intentionally damage the
system, damage information not belonging to
them, misuse system resources, or allow
others to misuse system resources.
10.
Users shall not tamper with computers, networks, printers, or other associated
equipment except as directed by the
teacher or teacher technologist.
Students
and their parents should be aware that electronic communications (e-mail) using
District computers are not private and may be monitored by District staff.
CONDUCT
As required by law, the District has established a
Student Code of Conduct that prohibits certain behaviors and defines standards
of acceptable behavior—both on and off campus—and consequences for violation of
the standards. Students need to be
familiar with the standards set out in the Student Code of Conduct, as well as
campus and classroom rules.
To achieve the best possible learning environment for
all students, the Student Code of Conduct and other campus rules of behavior
will apply whenever the interest of the District is involved, on or off school
grounds, in conjunction with or independent of classes and school-sponsored
activities. The District has
disciplinary authority over a student in accordance with the Student Code of
Conduct.
CONFERENCES
Parents and teachers are encouraged to establish and maintain frequent
communication about student progress. A
student or parent who wants information or wants to raise a question or concern
is encouraged to talk with the appropriate teacher, counselor, or
principal. A parent who wants to meet
with a teacher may call the office for an appointment during a conference
period or at another mutually convenient time.
Students and parents may expect teachers to request a conference (1) if
the student is not maintaining passing grades or achieving the expected level
of performance [See Report Cards in this document], (2) if the student presents
any other problem to the teacher, or (3) in any other case the teacher
considers necessary.
CORPORAL PUNISHMENT
Corporal punishment (spanking or paddling) may be used as a discipline
management technique in accordance with the Student Code of Conduct. Corporal punishment will be limited to
spanking or paddling the student governed by the following conditions:
1. The student will be told the reason for the
corporal punishment.
2. Corporal punishment may be administered only
by the principal, assistant principal, or a
teacher.
3. The instrument to be used will be approved by
the principal.
4. Corporal punishment will be administered in
the presence of one other District
professional employee and out of view of
other students.
Administrators and administrative designees act in “loco parentis” (in
place of parents) during the school day, to and from school on school
transportation, and at extracurricular events. .
A
record will be maintained of each instance of corporal punishment and notice
sent home to parents.
COUNSELING
The elementary school counselor is available to assist students with a
wide range of personal concerns, including such areas as social, family,
emotional, academic, or chemical dependency needs. The counselor may also make available
information about community resources to address personal concerns. Students who wish to meet with the counselor
should contact their teacher or the principal.
The
school will not conduct a psychological examination, test, or treatment without
requesting the parent’s written consent, unless required by state or federal
law for special education purposes or by the Texas Education Agency for child
abuse investigations and reports.
CREDIT BY EXAMINATION/EXAMINATIONS FOR ACCELERATION
No
Prior Formal Instruction:
West Rusk will be offering Credit by Exam test from
Prior
Formal Instruction:
A student who has had sufficient prior formal instruction as determined
by the district on the basis of a review of the student’s educational records
(and who has failed a course with a grade of no less that 60) may gain credit
for the course by passing a proficiency examination on the essential knowledge
and skills of the course. However, a
student may not use this examination to regain eligibility to participate in
extracurricular activities. The
attendance committee may allow a student with excessive absences to receive
credit for a course by passing an examination.
The parent will be responsible for purchasing the test.
DISTRACTIONS AND
DISTRUPTIONS
Students are
discouraged from bring to school things that may distract from the educational
process. Students are not permitted to possess such items as telecommunication
devices including those with text messaging, pagers, radios, CD/iPod players,
tape recorders, camcorders, DVD players, cameras, or electronic devices or
games at school unless prior permission has been obtained by the
principal. Such things as electronic
equipment, games, toys, trading cards, playing cards, make-up and others that
are not approved by the student’s teacher will be taken up and only returned to
a parent that comes to the school or kept until the end of school. If distractions become an ongoing problem,
discipline procedures may result. For
certain items, such as cell phones and pagers, in which a third party retains a
legal right of ownership, the school may charge for releasing the pager or
other device to the third party.
In order to protect
student safety and sustain an educational program free from disruptions, state
law permits the District to take action against any person – student or
non-student- who: interferes with the
movement of people in an exit, entrance, or a hallway of a school building or
property, interferes with an authorized activity, uses force, violence, or
threats in an attempt to prevent participation in an authorized assembly,
causes a disruption in an assembly, interferes with the transportation of
students in District vehicles, disrupts classes or other school activities
while on District property or on public property that is within 500 feet of
District property. Class disruption
includes making loud noises, use of profane language, trying to entice a
student away from or to prevent a student from attending a required class or
activity, and entering a classroom without authorization and disrupting the
instruction.
DRESS CODE
The District’s dress code is established to teach hygiene, instill
discipline, prevent disruption, avoid safety hazards, and assert
authority. Any article of clothing,
jewelry, body decoration, or hair style extreme enough to create a distraction
or disturb the normal routine of school shall be deemed inappropriate. Final decisions on the appropriateness of
school dress rests with the principal or designee. Examples of inappropriate and unapproved
choices of clothing, jewelry, body decorations, or hair style include:
1. Hats, caps, or bandannas
2. Tank tops or low cut clothing (neck or
underarm)
3. Clothing that exposes bare midriffs i. e.
crop tops (Students will be expected to hold
their elbows parallel to their
shoulders. No exposed skin should show.)
4. Exposed body piercing jewelry
5. Flip flop shoes designed for beach or bath
wear, heels that are dangerous for running and physical
activity. Shoes with wheels, heelies,
cannot be worn at school.
6. Excessive or disruptive makeup
7. Obscene language or symbols, provocative
pictures, advertising of tobacco or drugs on
clothing, backpacks, book covers, jewelry,
or exposed body parts.
8. Symbols on clothing or jewelry that would
distract or cause undue attention. No
writing on the seat of
the clothing
9. Racially related symbols, emblems, pictures,
words, or slogans
10.
Exposed tattoos real or fake
11.
Inappropriate symbols, words, or slogans cut into hair
12.
Excessively loose clothing that results in “sagging”
13.
Dark glasses (unless prescribed by a physician)
14.
See-through, provocative, or excessively tight clothing i.e. spandex tights,
shorts,
or pants and excessively tight dresses
and skirts
15.
Excessively torn clothing, i.e. jeans, shirts
16.
Clothing worn in a manner for which it was not intended, i. e. backward, inside
out
17.
Any accessory or clothing article deemed gang related as determined by the
principal.
18.
Shorts must be hemmed or cuffed and finger-tip length or longer. Walking shorts,
skorts, and are examples of styles that
are normally permitted. Not to
be worn are cutoffs, wind shorts , short
shorts, boxer shorts, PE shorts, jogging shorts,
bicycle shorts or pants.
19.
Dresses, shorts, and skirts must be at a finger-tip length or longer when
standing.
20.
Students must also wear appropriate undergarments.
21.
Belts that are excessively long (more than 3 inches hang from buckle)
22.
Hair color that is disruptive
*The
school district discourages the wearing of expensive jewelry and other apparel
and is not responsible for lost or stolen items.
**Parents
should be aware that physical activity classes are conducted daily and
closed-in shoes are recommended. Check
to see that your student can run, do exercises, etc. in their shoes.
It is the responsibility of all students to adhere to the dress and
grooming code. As long as the policy is
in effect, the student must respect the decisions made by the principal, and
realize that it is the principal’s responsibility to enforce the code and make
decisions. Likewise, it is the
responsibility of every faculty member to address dress code violations and
report to the principal as necessary.
DRILLS
·
Students, teachers, and other District employees shall participate in
frequent drills of emergency procedures.
When the alarm is sounded, students must follow the direction of
teachers, or others in charge quickly, quietly, and in an orderly manner.
Emergency
bell: 3
bells......fire: leave the building
1
bell........halt: stand at attention
2
bells.......return to classroom
1
long continuous bell......Tornado.....Go to designated area
2
bells……return to classroom
EMERGENCY BUILDING EVACUATION
Upon the necessity of making an emergency building evacuation, the
principal will notify both the Rusk County Sheriff's Department and the
superintendent. The principal will
inform teachers to take students and their class rolls to the
EMERGENCY CLOSING INFORMATION
The District school calendar has included bad weather days if school is
dismissed for this reason. Listen to
your local radio or television station for information on school closings.
EMERGENCY MEDICAL TREATMENT
If a student has a medical emergency at school or a school-related
activity when the parent cannot be reached, the school will need to have
written parental consent to obtain emergency medical treatment, and information
about allergies to medications, foods, insect bites, etc. Each year parents are asked to complete an
emergency care consent form that includes a place for parental consent for
school officials to obtain medical treatment for the student, as permitted by
law. Other information that may be
required in case of an emergency should be provided and updated by the parents
as necessary.
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES, CLUBS, AND ORGANIZATIONS
Participation in school and school-related activities is an excellent
way for a student to develop talents, receive individual recognition, and build
strong friendships with other students.
Participation is a privilege.
While many of the activities are governed by the University
Interscholastic League (UIL) -- a statewide association of participating
districts--eligibility for participation in many of these activities is
governed by state law as well as UIL rules:
A student who receives, at the end of any grade evaluation period, a
grade below 70 in any academic class, other than an identified honors or
advanced class, or a student with disabilities who fails to meet the standards
in the Individual Education Plan (IEP) may not participate in extracurricular
activities for at least three school weeks.
An ineligible student may practice or rehearse, however. The student regains eligibility when the
principal and teachers determine that he or she has: (1) earned a passing grade (70 or above) in
all academic classes, other than those that are honors or advanced, and (2)
completed the three weeks of ineligibility.
A student is allowed up to ten absences from a class during the school
year for extracurricular activities or public performances. All UIL activities and other activities
approved by the Board of Trustees are subject to these restrictions. A student who misses a class because of
participation in a non-approved activity will receive an unexcused absence.
Restrictions on participation related to discipline may be found in the
Student Code of Conduct.
Please
note: Student clubs and performing
groups such as the band, choir, and drill and athletic teams may establish
standards of behavior-including consequences for misbehavior- that are stricter
than those for students in general. If a
violation is also a violation of school rules, the consequences specified by
the Student Code of Conduct or by local policy will apply in addition to any
consequences specified by the organization.
A student placed in SAC or AEP will not be allowed to practice or
participate in any UIL or school related activity before, during, or after
school until the time is served.
FEES
Materials that are part of the basic educational program are provided
without charge to a student. A student
is expected to provide his or her own supplies of pencils, paper, erasers, and
notebooks, and may be required to pay certain other fees or deposits including:
1. Costs for materials for a class project that
the student will keep.
2. Membership dues in voluntary clubs or
organizations and admission fees to
extracurricular activities.
3. Security deposits
4. Personal physical education and athletic
equipment and apparel.
5. Voluntary purchases of pictures,
publications, class rings, yearbooks, graduation
announcements, etc.
6. Voluntary purchase of student accident
insurance
7. Musical instruments and uniform maintenance,
when uniforms are provided by the
district
8. Personal apparel, used in extracurricular
activities, that becomes the property of the
student
9. Parking fees and student identification cards
10.
Fees for lost, damaged, or overdue library books
11.
A fee not to exceed $50 for costs of providing an educational program outside
of
regular school hours for a student who has
lost credit due to absences and whose
parent chooses the program in order for
the student to meet the 90 percent
attendance requirement. The fee will be charged only if the parent or
guardian
signs a District-provided request form.
Any
required fee or deposit may be waived if the student and parent are unable to
pay.
Application
for such a waiver may be made to the principal.
FREEDOM FROM
DISCRIMINATION
The District believes that all students learn best in an environment free from harassment and that their welfare is best served when they can work free from discrimination. Students are expected to treat other students and District employees with courtesy and respect; to avoid any behaviors known to be offensive; and to stop those behaviors when asked or told to stop. District employees are expected to treat students with courtesy and respect.
The Board has established policies and procedures to
prohibit and promptly respond to inappropriate and offensive behaviors that are
based on a person’s race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sex, age,
or disability. [See policy FFH]
Prohibited harassment, in general terms, is conduct so severe,
persistent, or pervasive that it affects the student’s ability to participate
in or benefit from an educational program or activity; or substantially
interferes with the student’s academic performance. A copy of the District’s policy is available
in the principal’s office and in the Superintendent’s office.
Examples
of prohibited discrimination may include, but are not limited to, derogatory
language directed at a person’s religious beliefs or practices, accent, skin
color, or need for accommodation; bullying, threatening or intimidating
conduct; name-calling or slurs, taunting, teasing (even when presented as
“jokes”), or rumors; aggression or assault; graffiti or printed material
promoting racial, ethnic, or other negative stereotypes; or aggressive conduct
such as theft or damage to property.
Examples of prohibited sexual harassment may include touching private
body parts or coercing physical contact that is sexual in nature; sexual
advances; jokes or conversations of a sexual nature; and other sexually
motivated conduct, communications, or contact.
Sexual harassment of a student by an employee or
volunteer does not include necessary or permissible physical contact not
reasonably construed as sexual in nature.
However, all romantic and inappropriate social relationships, as well as
all sexual relationships, between students and District employees are
prohibited, even if consensual.
Any student (or the student’s parent) who believes
that he or she has experienced prohibited harassment should immediately report
the problem to a teacher, counselor, principal, or other District
employee.
To the extent possible, the District will respect
the privacy of the student; however, limited disclosures may be necessary to
conduct a thorough investigation and to comply with law. Allegations will be promptly
investigated. The District will notify
the parents of any student alleged to have experienced prohibited harassment by
an adult associated with the District, or by another student, when the allegations,
if proven, would constitute “sexual harassment” or “other prohibited
harassment” as defined by District policy.
If the District’s investigation indicates that
prohibited harassment occurred, appropriate disciplinary or corrective action
will be taken to address the harassment.
The District may take disciplinary action even if the conduct that is
the subject of the complaint did not rise to the level of harassment prohibited
by law or policy.
Retaliation against a person who makes a good faith
report of prohibited harassment is prohibited.
However, a person who makes a false claim or offers false statements or
refuses to cooperate with a District investigation may be subject to
appropriate discipline.
A student or parent who is dissatisfied with the
outcome of the investigation may appeal in accordance with policy FNG.
In its efforts to promote nondiscrimination, the
District makes the following statements: