Bullying & Harassment Prevention

District Policy on Bullying

INS-A003

Commitment

Salem-Keizer School District is committed to providing an environment where students can study, participate in school sponsored activities and work in an environment that is free of hazing, harassment, intimidation, discrimination, bullying,and menacing. This policy includes language required by Oregon Revised Statues and Oregon Administrative Rules.

Definitions

Any act that recklessly or intentionally endangers the mental health, physical health or safety of a student for the purpose of initiation or as a condition or precondition of attaining membership in, or affiliation with, any district sponsored activity or grade level attainment.

Any act that substantially interferes with a student’s educational benefits, opportunities or performance, that takes place on, or immediately adjacent to, school grounds, at any school sponsored activity, on school-provided transportation or at any official school bus stop. Harassment, intimidation, and bullying may be based on, but not limited to, the protected class status of a person, and have 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. Creating a hostile educational environment, including interfering with the psychological well-being of a student

Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal, written, or physical conduct of a sexual nature that unreasonably interferes with a person’s education and/or a person’s participation in school activities, or that creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive school-related environment.

Use of any electronic communication device to harass, intimidate, or bully. Communication of this form which occurs off school grounds but disrupts or prevents a safe and positive educational or working environment may also be considered cyberbullying.

Any act which is intended to place a student in reasonable fear of imminent serious physical injury.

Incidents of hazing, harassment, intimidation, bullying, cyberbullying, and menacing may be based on, but not be limited to, the protected class status of a person.

A group of persons distinguished, or perceived to be distinguished, by race,color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, marital status, familial status, source of income, or disability.

an individual’s actual or perceived heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality, or gender identity, regardless of whether the individual’s gender identity, appearance, expression or behavior differs from that traditionally associated with the individual’s sex at birth.

Policy

  1. Acts of hazing, harassment, sexual harassment, intimidation, bullying, cyberbullying, and menacing will not be
    tolerated by student to student, staff to student, or student to staff.
  2. Students are expected to behave in such a way that promotes a positive education environment.
  3. All district employees shall immediately report incidents to the school administrator.
  4. An employee who violates this policy may be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination.
  5. Any person who has witnessed or has reliable information about an incident is encouraged to make a report,
    including an anonymous report, directly to the school administrator.
  6. The school principal shall receive and investigate reports according to procedures developed by the Superintendent.
  7. A person may request the District to review the actions taken by staff in responding and/or investigating a report by filing a written request with the Superintendent.
  8. Students whose behavior is found to be in violation of this policy will be subject to disciplinary actions as specified by the District’s Student Discipline policy and procedure.
  9. Reprisal or retaliation against any person acting in good faith in a complaint process is a violation of District policy.
  10. A student found to have falsely accused another as a means of reprisal, retaliation, or as a means of hazing,
    harassment, intimidation, bullying, cyberbullying, or menacing, shall be subject to disciplinary actions as by the District’s Student Discipline policy and procedure.
  11. Information related to the prevention of, and the appropriate response to, acts of hazing, harassment, sexual
    harassment, intimidation, bullying, cyberbullying and menacing will be incorporated into training programs for
    students and school employees.

This policy shall be made available at School District 24J schools and on its website. A copy of this policy at least 8.5”x11” in size shall be posted in all Middle and High Schools.

The district has adopted a separate policy for Teen Dating Violence (INS-A013), which delineates the definitions, expectations for students, reporting and discipline processes.

Below you will find resources regarding the Salem-Keizer School District’s commitment to prevent and appropriately address bullying concerns. Bullying prevention is embedded in the district’s curricula at all levels, and individual schools often engage in additional prevention programs and events.  Parents are encouraged to contact the staff at the school their child attends with questions or to request additional information.

Bullying Prevention Resources