Sunday, June 22, 2008

Kewaskum and Hartford School Districts Go Along for the Ride

HARTFORD and KEWASKUM School Districts have equally-horrendous, illegal and unconstitutional harassment policies in place similar to West Bend's.. Let us give thanks to the State Administrative Code PI9 for making this all a reality.

HARTFORD
STUDENT ANTI-HARASSMENT POLICY
The School District of Hartford Joint No. 1 is committed to an educational environment that is
free of harassment of any form. That may include, but not be limited to, acts of bullying, hazing,
intimidating, threats, or violence. The District will not tolerate any form of illegal harassment
and will take all necessary and appropriate action to eliminate it, including suspension or
expulsion of students engaged in illegal harassment.
Harassment is illegal if it is based upon a protected group status. In that regard, no student shall be subject to harassment on the basis of gender, race, color, religion, national origin (including limited English proficiency -- LEP), ancestry, creed, pregnancy, marital or parental status, sexual orientation, physical, mental or emotional disability, handicap or any other basis protected by State or Federal Law.

Illegal harassment may include, but is not limited to, the following:
1. Verbal harassment, including epithets, kidding, derogatory comments, slurs or ethnic jokes;
2. Physical harassment, including patting, pinching or intentional brushing against another’s
body;
3. Physical interference with movement, activities or work;
4. Visual harassment, including derogatory cartoons, drawings or posters; and
5. Demands for sexual favors, whether or not accompanied by implied or overt promises of
preferential treatment or threats.
Students who believe they have been subjected to illegal harassment may file a report and/or
complaint pursuant to the District’s Pupil Harassment Complaint Procedure. A copy of the
procedure may be obtained from the building office.

KEWASKUM

The Kewaskum School District shall not discriminate in standards and rules of conduct or disciplinary measures relating to suspensions and expulsions, including those pertaining to student harassment, on the basis of sex, race, national origin, ancestry, religion, creed, pregnancy, marital or parental status, sexual orientation or physical, mental, emotional or learning disability.

The Kewaskum School District seeks to provide a school and learning environment that is free from intimidation and harassment based on any of the above characteristics and prohibits intimidation and harassment.

Sexual harassment includes any unwelcome sexual advance, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when (1) submission to such conduct is made, either explicitly or implicitly, a term or condition of an individual's learning process; (2) submission to or rejection of such conduct by a individual is used as the basis for learning decisions affecting such individual; or (3) such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual's school performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive learning environment.
Intimidation and harassment can arise from a broad range of physical or verbal behavior (by students, teachers, administrators, staff members) which can include but is not limited to the following:
Racial, ethnic, sexual or religious insults or slurs;
Physical or mental abuse;
Unwelcome sexual advances or unauthorized touching;
Sexual comments, jokes, stories, or innuendos;
Display of sexually explicit or otherwise offensive posters, calendars, or materials;
Referring to a female student as a "hunk", "doll", "babe" or "honey";
Making sexual gestures with hand or body movement;
Intentionally or repetitively brushing against another student;
Inappropriate staring at another student, touching their clothing, hair or body;
Whistling at another student, cat calls;
Asking unsolicited personal questions about another student's sex life;
Engaging in any type of unwelcome advances, such as repeatedly asking a student out if the student has stated that he or she is not interested; and
Elevator "eyes" - repeatedly looking a student up and down.
Harassment that relates to a person's school performance provides a basis for assessment decisions, creates a hostile intimidating or offensive environment are specifically prohibited by the Kewaskum School District. These activities are offensive and inappropriate in the school setting. These are serious issues for the Kewaskum School District and each individual student. A student may be held individually liable as a harasser and subject to the same penalties which may be imposed upon employers under state or federal law. This is in addition to discipline the Kewaskum School District may impose.
Management, including all administrators, is responsible to assure that prohibited activities do no occur, and any student who believes that he or she has been the subject of prohibited harassment or retaliation should report the matter immediately to the District Administrator or Building Principal as an alternate. Any student wishing to make a harassment complaint may do so by following the instructions listed in Board Policy #529.1. Disclosure will be made only to those with a legitimate need to know. Students are required to cooperate fully with any harassment investigation. Reports will be investigated promptly and confidentiality maintained within practical bounds.
Either a complaining student or an accused student who is not satisfied with the outcome of any investigation under this policy may request review by the Kewaskum School Board President.
A student who engages in harassment or retaliates against another student because a student made a report of harassment or participated in an investigation of a claim of harassment is subject to immediate discipline, up to and including expulsion.
This prohibition against harassment reinforces the Kewaskum School District's tradition of developing and maintaining a professional learning environment comprised of students who respect one another. It is the responsibility of all students to uphold that tradition.
Legal

No comments: