STUDENT BULLYING PREVENTION - THE JAMARI TERRELL WILLIAMS STUDENT BULLYING PREVENTION POLICY

  • THE JAMARI TERRELL WILLIAMS STUDENT BULLYING PREVENTION POLICY

    It is the policy of the Board that no student shall engage in or be subjected to bullying, violence, threats of violence, or intimidation by any other student that is based on any of the specific characteristics that have been identified by the Tuscaloosa County Board of Education in this policy. Students who violate this policy will be subject to disciplinary sanctions.

    The term “bullying” as used in this policy means a continuous pattern of intentional behavior that takes place on or off of school property, on a school bus, at a school-sponsored function including, but not limited to, cyberbullying or written, electronic, verbal, or physical actions that are reasonably perceived as being motivated by any characteristic of a student or by the association of a student with an individual who has a particular characteristic, if the characteristic falls into one of the characteristics contained in this policy. To constitute bullying, a pattern of behavior may do any of the following:

    • place a student in reasonable fear of harm to his or her person or damage to his or her property; • have the effect of substantially interfering with the educational performance, opportunities, or benefits of a student;
    • have the effect of substantially disrupting or interfering with the orderly operation of the school;
    • have the effect of creating a hostile environment in the school, on school property, on a school bus, or at a school-sponsored function;
    • have the effect of being sufficiently severe, persistent, or pervasive enough to create an intimidating, threatening, or abusive educational environment for a student.

    Bullying, intimidation, violence or threats of violence are prohibited and will be subject to disciplinary consequences and sanctions if the perpetrator of such action is found to have based the prohibited action on one or more of the following personal characteristics of the victim of such conduct:

    • The student’s race;
    • The student’s sex;
    • The student’s sexual orientation;
    • The student’s religion;
    • The student’s national origin; or
    • The student’s disability.

    EVERY CHILD A GRADUATE - EVERY GRADUATE PREPARED FOR LIFE - 42 REPORTING, INVESTIGATION, AND COMPLAINT RESOLUTION PROCEDURES

    • Complaints alleging violations of this policy must be made on Board-approved complaint forms available on the Tuscaloosa County School System website (www.tcss.net), the local school website, the school office, or in the Tuscaloosa County School System Parent/Information Guide. The complaint must be delivered to the principal or principal’s designee by either mail or personal delivery. Incidental or minor violations of this policy may be presented and resolved informally.
    • Upon receipt of the complaint, the principal or the principal’s designee will determine if the complaint alleges a serious violation of this policy. If the principal or the principal’s designee determines that the complaint alleges a serious violation, the principal or the designee will undertake an investigation of the complaint in a reasonably prompt time period. The investigation will entail the gathering of relevant facts and evidence taking into account the circumstances of the complaint. If the investigation establishes a violation, appropriate disciplinary sanctions will be imposed on the offending student(s). Other measures that are reasonably calculated to prevent a recurrence of the violation(s) may also be imposed by the principal or the school system.
    • Any reprisal or retaliation against any student who has reported a violation of this policy or sought relief provided by this policy are prohibited and are themselves a violation of this policy. Any confirmed acts of reprisal or retaliation will be subject to disciplinary sanctions that may include any sanction, penalty, or consequence that is available to school officials under the Code of Student Conduct. A student who deliberately, recklessly, and falsely accuses another student of a violation of this policy is subject to disciplinary sanctions as outlined in the Code of Student Conduct.

    • The complaint form developed to report violations of this policy will include a provision for reporting a threat of suicide by a student. If a threat of suicide is reported, the principal or the principal’s designee is authorized to inform the student’s parent or guardian of the report unless at the discretion of the school principal or the principal’s designee the apparent cause of the threat of suicide is child abuse or other significant harm from a parent or guardian.