Page 38 - Padua_Parent-Student Handbook_2021-2022

Definition of Harassment
Such behavior includes overt intent to ridicule, humiliate or intimidate another student, school employee or volunteer. Examples of conduct that could constitute prohibited behavior include:
• Physical violence and/or attacks;
• Threats, taunts and intimidation through words and/or gestures;
• Extortion, damage or stealing of money and/or possessions;
• Exclusion from the peer group or spreading rumors; and
• Hazing of any kind
• Repetitive and hostile behavior with the intent to harm others through the use of information and
communication technologies and other Web-based/online sites (also known as “cyber bullying”), such as the following:
o Posting slurs on web sites where students congregate or on web logs (personal online journals or diaries);
o Sendingabusiveorthreateninginstantmessages;
o Using camera phones to take embarrassing photographs of students and posting them
online; and,
o Usingwebsitestocirculategossipandrumorstootherstudents;
o Excludingothersfromanonlinegroupbyfalselyreportingthemforinappropriatelanguage
to Internet service providers.
Sexual Harassment
For illustrative purposes, although this list is not meant to be all-inclusive, the following are examples of behavior that is prohibited by this policy: verbal sexual abuse; jokes of a sexual or obscene nature; disseminating, including electronically, obscene or sexually explicit material, whether in the form of music, written lyrics, pornographic pictures or written materials, or having such materials in one's possession in the school, on school grounds, or at school-sponsored activities; obscene or sexually explicit graffiti anywhere in the school or on school grounds, continual and unwanted written or oral communications of a sexual nature directed toward another; spreading sexual rumors/innuendoes; obscene T-shirts, hats or buttons; obscene and/or sexually explicit gestures or touching; unwanted requests for sexual favors; and any other inappropriate behavior of a sexually explicit or obscene nature that is demeaning and/or offensive.
Isolated incidents may not be sufficient to constitute harassment or sexual harassment and will be handled according to the student behavior code. Allegations of harassment or sexual harassment (as defined above) by any person are to be reported to a teacher, counselor, or administrator. Parents of both the offender and the victim will be informed of the allegations. To lessen the possibility of retaliation, the matter is to be kept confidential by all parties involved. The parents of both the offender and the victim are obligated to cooperate in remedying the situation.
If the allegations are substantiated, disciplinary actions will be taken. These will depend on the nature, frequency and severity of the action, the ages of the offender and the victim, the history of similar actions by this individual, and the circumstances in which the harassment occurred. Possible disciplinary actions may include, but are not limited to, any or all the following:
• verbal warning/reprimand and apology to the victim
• a parent/student/principal conference
• written warning/reprimand & parent notification, entered in the student's file
• detention or removal from selected school activities and/or extracurricular activities
• behavior/probation contracts, possibly requiring professional intervention
• suspension
• dismissal
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