Revised Policy—Second Reading

WEST HARTFORD PUBLIC SCHOOLS

POLICY 5550

Students

Bullying Behavior in the Schools

The West Hartford Board of Education promotes a safe and secure school climate conductive
to teaching and learning. In accordance with state law, it is the policy of the West Hartford
Board of Education that any form of bullying behavior, whether in the classroom, on school
property or at school-sponsored events, is prohibited. Such behavior is disruptive of the
educational process and, therefore, not acceptable behavior in this district.

(To implement this policy, the Board of Education directs) The Superintendent shall be
responsible for (to) developing and implementing (adopt) regulations (no later than
February 1, 2003,) to address the existence of bullying in the schools. As provided by
statute, such regulations shall: (1) enable students to anonymously report acts of bullying to
teachers and school administrators and require that students be notified annually of the
process by which they may make such anonymous reports, (2) enable the parents or
guardians of students to file written reports of suspected bullying, (3) require teachers and
other school staff who witness acts of bullying or receive student reports of bullying to notify
school administrators in writing, (4) require school administrators to investigate any written
reports made under this section (filed pursuant to subdivision (2) above) and to review any
anonymous reports except that no disciplinary action shall be taken solely on the basis of
an anonymous report, (5) include (an) a prevention and intervention strategy as defined
below for school staff to deal with bullying, (6) provide for the inclusion of language in
student codes of conduct concerning bullying, (7) require each school (administrators) to
notify (both) the parents or guardians of students who commit any verified acts of bullying
and the parents or guardians of students against whom such acts were directed and invite
them to attend at least one meeting, (8) require each school within the district to maintain a
list of the number of verified acts of bullying in such school and make such list available for
public inspection, and within available appropriations, report such number to the
Department of Education, annually and in such manner as prescribed by the
Commissioner of Education (9) direct the development of case-by-case interventions for
addressing repeated incidents of bullying against a single individual or recurrently
perpetrated bullying incidents by the same individual that may include both counseling and
discipline, and (10) identify the appropriate school personnel, which may include, but
shall not be limited to, pupil services personnel, responsible for taking a bullying report
and investigating the complaint.

The notification required pursuant to subdivision (7) above shall include a description of the
response of school staff to such acts and any consequences that may result from the
commission of further acts of bullying. Any information provided under this policy shall be
provided in accordance with the confidentiality restrictions imposed under the Family
 POLICY 5550

Educational Rights Privacy Act ("FERPA") and the district's Confidentiality and Access to
Student Information policy and regulations.

For purposes of this policy, “bullying” shall mean any overt acts by a student or group of
students directed against another student with the intent to ridicule, harass, humiliate, or
intimidate the other student while on school grounds, on a school bus, or at a school-
sponsored activity, which acts are (repeated against the same student over time) committed
more than once against any student during the school year.

For purposes of this policy, “School-Sponsored Activity” shall mean any activity conducted
on or off school property (including school buses and other school-related vehicles) that is
sponsored, recognized or authorized by the Board of Education.

For purposes of this policy, “prevention and intervention strategy” may include, but is
not limited to, (1) implementation of a positive behavioral interventions and supports
process or another evidence-based model approach for safe school climate or for the
prevention of bullying identified by the Department of Education, (2) a school survey to
determine the prevalence of bullying, (3) establishment of a bullying prevention
coordinating committee with broad representation to review the survey results and
implement the strategy, (4) school rules prohibiting bullying, harassment and
intimidation and establishing appropriate consequences for those who engage in such
acts, (5) adequate adult supervision of outdoor areas, hallways, the lunchroom and
other specific areas where bullying is likely to occur, (6) including of grade-appropriate
bullying prevention curricula in kindergarten through high school, (7) individual
interventions with the bully, parents, and school staff, and interventions with the
bullied child, parents, and school staff, (8) school-wide training related to safe school
climate, and (9) promotion of parent involvement in bullying prevention through
individual or team participation in meetings, trainings and individual interventions.

Students who engage in bullying behavior shall be subject to school discipline up to and
including expulsion in accordance with the Board's policy on student discipline.

Effective July 1, 2009, this policy and the applicable regulations shall be included in the
school district’s publication of the rules, procedures, and standards of conduct for
schools and in all student handbooks.

Legal Reference: Connecticut General Statutes:

Adopted: February 4, 2003