NCBOE Policy for anti-harassment, bullying, and discrimination

NORTH CAROLINA STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION Policy Manual Excerpt

• Policy Identification Priority: Healthy Students in Safe, Orderly & Caring Schools
• Category: Safe Schools Program Guidelines
• Policy ID Number: SS-A-007
• Policy Title: Policy for anti-harassment, bullying, and discrimination
• Current Policy Date: 07/01/2004

Administrative Procedures Act (APA) Reference Number and Category: It is the priority of the State Board of Education to provide each and every student in North Carolina's public schools and public charter schools with a safe, orderly, and caring learning environment that is free from harassment, bullying or discrimination.

The Department of Public Instruction shall provide guidance and technical assistance to local boards of education to develop policies and procedures to prevent, intervene, investigate, document and report all forms of harassment, bullying, and discrimination. The State Board of Education shall require each LEA to designate an individual(s) to participate in the Department of Public Instruction training pertaining to anti-bullying, anti-harassment, and anti-discrimination. This individual(s) will provide leadership and training to the school district in developing policies and procedures.

Each local board of education shall develop and maintain policies and procedures to prevent, intervene, investigate, document, and report all acts of harassment, bullying, or discrimination no later than January 2005.

Each local board of education shall also establish a policy prohibiting acts of retaliation for reporting violations of the anti-harassment, anti-bullying and anti-discrimination policy as stated in the Federal Guidelines provided by the Office for Civil Rights http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/checklist.html. Each local board of education shall notify all students, parents, and employees in writing of the policies and procedures.

The Local Board of Education shall report all verified cases of harassment, bullying, or discrimination to the State Board of Education on the Discipline Data Collection Report.