HARASSMENT, BULLYING and HAZING POLICY
Our Lady of Loretto Elementary is committed to provide a safe and comfortable learning environment that respects Christian values and is free from harassment, bullying or hazing in any form. Harassment, bullying or hazing of any student by any other student, lay employee, religious, clergy, or school volunteer is prohibited. The school will treat allegations of any such conduct seriously and will review and investigate such allegations in a prompt, confidential and thorough manner. This policy shall be communicated clearly to faculty, staff, volunteers, parents/guardians, and students.
Substantiated acts of harassment, bullying or hazing by a student will result in disciplinary action up to and including dismissal of the student. Students found to have filed false or frivolous charges will also be subject to disciplinary action up to and including dismissal. For students in grades K-3, this disciplinary action shall depend on the maturity of the students and the circumstances involved. For students in grades 4 through 8, the disciplinary action may include suspension or dismissal.
Harassment occurs when an individual is subjected to treatment or a school environment that is hostile or intimidating based upon a legally protected class, such as race, sex, ethnic origin or religion. It includes, but is not limited to, any or all of the following:
Verbal harassment: Derogatory comments and jokes; threatening words spoken to another person.
Physical harassment: Unwanted physical touching, contact, assault, deliberate impending or blocking movements, or any intimidating interference with normal work or movement.
Visual harassment: Derogatory, demeaning or inflammatory posters, cartoons, written words, drawings, and gestures.
Sexual harassment: Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature.
Bullying is the habitual harassing, intimidating, tormenting, browbeating, humiliating, terrorizing, oppressing and/or threatening of another person. Bullying typically consists of direct behaviors, such as teasing, taunting, threatening, hitting, shoving, and stealing that are initiated by one or more students against a victim or victims. In addition to direct attacks, bullying may also be indirect, such as spreading rumors that cause victims to be socially isolated through intentional exclusion. Whether the bullying is direct or indirect, the key component of bullying is physical or psychological intimidation that occurs repeatedly over time to create an ongoing pattern of harassment and abuse.
Hazing is any method of initiation or pre-initiation into a student organization or student body or any pastime or amusement engaged in with respect to these organizations which causes, or is likely to cause, bodily danger, physical harm, or personal degradation or disgrace resulting in physical or mental harm, to any student or other person.
Students also may be involved in cyberbullying, which occurs when they bully each other using the Internet, mobile phones or other cyber technology. This can include, but is not limited to:
Sending inappropriate text, e-mail, or instant messages.
Posting inappropriate pictures or messages about others in blogs or on Websites.
Using someone else's username to spread rumors or lies about someone.
It is the responsibility of the school to:
Establish practices and provide staff development training and age-appropriate information for students, designed to create a school environment free from discrimination, intimidation or harassment.
Make all faculty, staff, students, parents/guardians, and volunteers aware of this policy and the commitment of the school toward its strict enforcement
Remain watchful for conditions that create or may lead to a hostile offensive school environment.
It is the student’s responsibility to:
Conduct himself or herself in a manner that contributes to a positive school environment.
Avoid any activity that may be considered discriminatory, intimidating, harassing, bullying or hazing.
If possible, inform the other person(s) that the behavior is offensive and unwelcome.
Report all incidents of discrimination, harassment, bullying or hazing to the principal or teacher.
As appropriate, the students involved may be asked to complete a formal, written complaint which will be investigated thoroughly and will involve only the necessary parties. Confidentiality will be maintained as much as possible.
