NOTICE TO STUDENTS AND PARENTS REGARDING BULLYING AND DISCRIMINATION

Dear Students & Parents:

District policy prohibits bullying and also prohibits retaliation against anyone who reports an incident of bullying.  Board Policy FFI (Local)

• If a student believes that he or she is the victim of bullying, the student should report it immediately to a campus administrator, teacher/coach, campus nurse, or school resource officer.  All students are encouraged to report such incidents immediately.  Reports may be made anonymously (click link). 
• The District has established procedures for contacting parents within the times required by law after an incident of bullying involving their student has been reported. 
• Campus administration must complete an investigation of any alleged incident of bullying within 10 district business days unless more time is warranted. 
• Bullying is defined by the Texas Education Code Section 37.0832 as follows:
  • “Bullying” means a single significant act or a pattern of acts by one or more students directed at another student that exploits an imbalance of power and involves engaging in written or verbal expression, expression through electronic means, or physical conduct that,
    • has the effect or will have the effect of physically harming a student, damaging a student’s property, or placing a student in reasonable fear of harm to the student’s person or of damage to the student’s property; 
    • is sufficiently severe, persistent or pervasive enough that the action or threat creates an intimidating, threatening, or abusive educational environment for a student;
    • materially and substantially disrupts the educational process or the orderly operation of a classroom or school; or
    • infringes on the rights of the victim at school; and,
    • includes cyber bullying.
  • “Cyber bullying” means bullying that is done through the use of any electronic communication device, including through the use of a cellular or other type of telephone, a computer, a camera, electronic mail, instant messaging, text messaging, social media application, an Internet website, or any other Internet-based communication tool.
    • Cyber bullying includes
      • bullying that occurs on or is delivered to school property or to the site of a school sponsored or school-related activity on or off school property;
      • bullying that occurs on a publicly or privately owned school bus or vehicle being used for transportation of students to or from school or a school sponsored or school-related activity; and,
      • cyber bullying that occurs off school property or outside of school sponsored or school-related activity if the cyber bullying
        • interferes with the student’s educational opportunities; or,
        • substantially disrupts the orderly operation of a classroom, school, or school sponsored or school-related activity. 
• For more information about bullying and related procedures, please contact your student’s campus principal or assistant principal. 
• Finally, the District does not tolerate other conduct that constitutes prohibited discrimination or harassment based on sex, gender, race, color, national origin, or disability.  Any student or parent who believes that such conduct has occurred should report it immediately to the campus principal or to the Central Office for engagement of the District’s Title IX Coordinator or the District’s Director of Special Education.  The contact number for the Central Office is 830-357-2000.

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