USD 403 Otis-Bison

Bullying Plan and Procedure

to meet basic requirements of K.A.S. 72-8256

USD 403 Board of Education prohibits bullying in and on school property, in a school vehicle or at any school-sponsored activity or event.

Definition :

Bullying is defined as :                                                                                                                            

Any intentional gesture or any intentional written, verbal or physical act or threat that is sufficiently severe, persistent, or pervasive that creates an intimidating, threatening , or abusive educational environment  for the student or the staff member that a reasonable person, under the circumstances, knows or should know will have the effect of : 

* Harming a student or staff member, whether physically or mentally; 

*Damaging a student's or staff member's property;

*Placing a student or staff member in reasonable fear of harm to the student  or staff member    

*Placing the students or staff member in reasonable fear of damage to the student's or staff member's property; or 

*Any form of intimidation or harassment prohibited by the Board of Education of USD 403 in policies concerning bullying adopted to meet requirement of K.S.A. 72-8256.

Reporting Procedures : 

It is considered the responsibility of all students and school staff members to report acts of bullying to a member of the school staff or administration, as designated. (list designated staff)

All such reports will be taken seriously by the party designated by policy to receive the same. The school staff or administrator will support student and co-worker making such reports and protect against any potential relation for making such a report.

Students and staff making prompt, accurate, and thorough reports, either verbally or in writing will have those reports recorded by the staff receiving the same. An investigation to determine the facts will take place immediately or as soon as practical, in order to the validity and seriousness of the report.

Filing a report in good faith will not reflect upon the individual's status, nor will it affect a student's grades, nor employment status by the district if the report is from an adult staff member. the district shall keep the complaint confidential for both the accused and the accuser, until such time as the misconduct is confirmed and sanctions are imposed.

Support and Sanction :

Programs designed to prevent bullying behavior, redirect students from continuing to bully and to support both victims of bullies and the bullies themselves shall be adopted. These programs take many forms and include classroom activities and instruction. 

Where it is determined that student participated in bullying behavior in violation of the policy, the school district staff responsible for maintaining order and discipline may take disciplinary action including suspension, expulsion, and referral to law enforcement officials for possible legal action.

Employees found to have participate in bullying behavior or having become aware that bullying was taking place and failed to report the behavior, are considered to be in violation of the prohibition expressed by the policy. They may be subject to disciplinary action consistent with the collective bargaining agreement or disciplinary action established  by policy or practice.

Disclosure and Public Reporting :       

Notification to all parties subject to this policy defining and prohibiting bullying shall be made annually. A summary of the policy will be incorporated into the student and employee handbooks. It will also be distributed to organizations in the community having cooperative agreement with the school.

Data on the number and types of reports made under this prohibition, the result of the investigations undertaken to verify the details made in complaints, and the sanctions imposed for incidents found to be in violation of the same are to be kept on an annual arrogated basis. No individuals, either complainants or violators, will be named in such reports.

Annual reports will be presented to the school board for use in development of prevention programs and/or modifications of this and other related policies. the annual report will be made available to the public upon request.