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No student shall engage in or be subjected to harassment, violence, threats of violence, or

intimidation by any other student that is based on any of the specific characteristics that have

been identified by the Board in this policy. Students who violate this policy will be subject to

disciplinary sanctions.

(a) The term "harassment" as used in this policy means a continuous pattern of

intentional behavior that takes place on school property, on a school bus, or at a

school-sponsored function including, but not limited to, written, electronic, verbal,

or physical acts that are reasonably perceived as being motivated by any

characteristic of a student, or by the association of a student with an individual

who has a particular characteristic, if the characteristic falls into one of the

categories of personal characteristics set forth in Section 3(b) below. To

constitute harassment, a pattern of behavior may do any of the following:

• Place a student in reasonable fear of harm to his or her person or damage to

his or her property.

• Have the effect of substantially interfering with the educational performance,

opportunities, or benefits of a student.

• Have the effect of substantially disrupting or interfering with the orderly

operation of the school.

• Have the effect of creating a hostile environment in the school, on school

property, on a school bus, or at a school-sponsored function.

• Have the effect of being sufficiently severe, persistent, or pervasive enough to

create an intimidation, threatening, or abusive educational environment for a

student.

(b) The term "violence" as used in this policy means the infliction of physical force

by a student with the intent to cause injury to another student or damage to the

property of another student.

(c) The term "threat of violence" as used in this policy means an expression of

intention to inflict injury or damage that is made by a student and directed to

another student.

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(d) The term "intimidation" as used in this policy means a threat of other action that is

intended to cause fear or apprehension in a student, especially for the purpose of

coercing or deterring the student from participating in or taking advantage of any

school program, benefits, activity or opportunity for which the student is or would

be eligible.

(e) The term "student" as used in this policy means a student who is enrolled in the

Lawrence County school system.

(a) Students are expected to treat other student with courtesy, respect, and dignity and

comply with the Code of Student Conduct. Students are expected and required

(1) to comply with the requirements of law, policy, regulation, and rules

prohibiting harassment, violence, or intimidation; (2) to refrain from inflicting or

threatening to inflict violence, injury, or damage to the person or property of

another student; and (3) to refrain from placing another student in fear of being

subjected to violence, injury, or damage when such actions or threats are

reasonably perceived as being motivated by any personal characteristic of the

student that is identified in this policy.

(b) Violence, threats of violence, harassment, and intimidation are prohibited and will

be subject to disciplinary consequences and sanctions if the perpetrator of such

action is found to have based the prohibited action on one of more of the

following personal characteristics of the victim of such conduct:

• The student's race;

• The student's sex;

• The student's religion;

• The student's national origin; or

• The student's disability.

A series of graduated consequences for any violation of this policy will be those outlined

in the Code of Student Conduct or any rule or standard adopted under authority of this policy.

(a) Complaints alleging violations of this policy must be made on Board approved

complaint forms available at the principal and/or counselor's office. The

complaint must be signed by the student alleging the violation or by the student's

parent or legal guardian and delivered to the principal or the principal's designee

either by mail or personal delivery. At the request of the complaining student or

the student's parent of legal guardian, incidental or minor violations of the policy

may be presented and resolved informally.

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(b) Upon receipt of the complaint, the principal or the principal's designee will, in

their sole discretion, determine if the complaint alleges a serious violation of this

policy. If the principal or the principal's designee will undertake an investigation

of the complaint. The investigation will entail the gathering of relevant facts and

evidence and will be conducted in a reasonably prompt time period taking into

account the circumstances of the complaint. If the investigation establishes a

violation, appropriate disciplinary sanctions will be imposed on the offending

student(s). Other measures that are reasonably calculated to prevent a recurrence

of the violation(s) may also be imposed by the principal or the school system.

(c) Acts of reprisal or retaliation against any student who has reported a violation of

this policy or sought relief provided by this policy are prohibited, and are

themselves a violation of this policy. Any confirmed acts of reprisal or retaliation

will be subject to disciplinary sanctions and may include any sanction, penalty, or

consequence that is available to school officials under the Code of Student

Conduct. A student who deliberately, recklessly, and falsely accuses another

student of a violation of this policy will be subject to disciplinary sanctions as

outlined in the Code of Student Conduct.

(d) The complaint form developed to report violations of this policy will include a

provision for reporting a threat of suicide by a student. If a threat of suicide is

reported, the principal or the principal's designee will inform the student's parent

or guardian of the report.

This policy and any procedures, rules, and forms developed and approved to implement

the policy will be published, disseminated, and made available to students, parents and legal

guardians, and employees by such means and methods as are customarily used for such purposes,

including publication on the Lawrence County School's Web site.

Adopted: December 7, 2009

A complaint of a student alleging the violation of harassment must be signed by the

student and/or the student's parent or guardian and delivered to the principal or the

principal's designee either by mail or personal delivery. See Policy JDDAA. If a threat

of suicide is reported, the principal or designee will inform parent or guardian.

Date: ____________________

Student's Name: ____________________________________________

School: ___________________________________________________

Description of Harassing

Incident(s):______________________________________________________________

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Use Back page if more space needed:

Student(s) Involved Names: ________________________________________________

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Student's or Parent's/Guardian's Signature,

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Student Parent/Guardian

Principal's/Designee's Documentation on back or attached: