HARASSMENT AND CHILD PROTECTION POLICY
CDA is committed to providing all students and employees with a safe and supportive school environment, free from hostility. Teachers and other staff members are expected to demonstrate by example that all members of the school community are entitled to be treated with dignity and respect. Bullying and harassment of students by students, school employees, or volunteers is prohibited. To that end, the school has developed this policy, along with procedures, processes and practices that are designed to reduce and eliminate bullying and harassment and to deal with incidents should they arise.
CDA does not tolerate harassment, bullying, or any other victimization of students or employees based on age, color, creed, national origin, race, religion, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical or mental attributes, ancestry, political beliefs or preferences, socio-economic status, or familial status.
This policy is in effect while students, employees or volunteers are on property within the jurisdiction of the school; while on school-owned, leased, or operated vehicles; while attending or engaged in school sponsored activities on the school grounds or elsewhere; or at any location if the misconduct adversely affects the good order, efficient management and welfare of the school, its students or employees.
Definitions:
For the purposes of this policy, harassment and bullying mean any electronic, written, verbal, or physical conduct that adversely affects the ability of one or more students or employees to participate in or benefit from the school’s programs, services or activities because the conduct is severe, persistent or pervasive.
Harassment can include “sexual harassment” or unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical harassment of a sexual nature.
For the purpose of this policy, “Electronic” includes, but is not limited to, communication transmitted via electronic mail, internet-based communications, pager service, cell phones, or electronic text messaging, while using school or private computers, networks, forums, and mailing lists.
For the purposes of this policy, “Volunteer” refers to an individual(s), who are not employed by the school but who freely offer to undertake tasks on behalf of the school and at it’s direction.
Harassment and bullying includes, but is not limited to, the following unwanted behaviors and circumstances that have the purpose or effect of causing injury, discomfort, fear, or suffering to the victim or that create an intimidating, offensive, or hostile learning or work environment:
- Verbal: excessive and malicious teasing, insulting remarks, name calling, embarrassing jokes and revealing intimate information, cursing, crude and inappropriate sexual comments, threats and taunting, manipulation, blackmail and extortion.
- Physical: intentional hitting, tripping, kicking, pushing and shoving.
- Social: ignoring a certain person, casting them out of a group, making them feel left out, spreading rumors about them and telling other kids not to be friends with them.
- Cyber bullying: threats and inappropriate comments, including sexual, via social media, texting, emailing and chat rooms.
The school shall consider that harassment or bullying exist if one or more of the following conditions are met. The action(s):
- Places the person in reasonable fear of harm to their person or property;
- Has a substantially detrimental effect on their physical or mental health;
- Has the effect of substantially interfering with a student’s academic performance or an employee’s work performance/advancement or a volunteer’s commitment to contribute to the school.
- Has the effect of substantially interfering with the individual’s ability to participate in or benefit from the programs, services, or activities provided by the school.
Reporting Harassment
Students
All allegations of bullying or harassment involving students should be reported to the Division counselor or their designee as soon as practical. The counselor will promptly and reasonably investigate all allegations including those filed anonymously, and do everything possible, within reason, to resolve the situation. The results of any investigation shall be sent to the Division Principal who shall determine what, if any, disciplinary action will be taken, and will notify the parents/guardian when appropriate.
Appropriate disciplinary measures may include, but are not limited to: warnings; mandatory counseling; loss of opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities, school social events or graduation exercises; loss of school bus transportation privileges; required community service; in-school suspension; out of school suspension, or denial of enrollment. The specific consequences should be consistent, reasonable, fair, age appropriate and match the severity of the incident.
Employees
All allegations of bullying or harassment involving employees should be reported to the Human Resources Office as soon as practical. The Human Resource Officer will promptly and reasonably investigate all allegations including those filed anonymously, and do everything possible, within reason, to resolve the situation. The results of any investigation shall be sent to the General Director who shall determine what, if any, disciplinary action will be taken.
If after an investigation a school employee is found to be in violation of this policy, the employee shall be disciplined by appropriate measures which may include but are not limited to: verbal and/or written warnings, mandatory counseling; unpaid suspension or termination.
Volunteers
All allegations of bullying or harassment involving volunteers should be reported to the Human Resources Office as soon as practical. The Human Resource Officer will promptly and reasonably investigate all allegations including those filed anonymously, and do everything possible, within reason, to resolve the situation. The results of any investigation shall be sent to the General Director who shall determine what, if any, disciplinary action will be taken.
If after an investigation a school volunteer is found to be in violation of this policy, the volunteer shall be subject to appropriate measures up to, and including, exclusion from school grounds and all school activities.
Counseling will be provided for the victim of harassment or bullying if deemed necessary by the school or requested by the victim.
In all cases, in addition to possible discipline described above, the school reserves the right to report any actions to local law enforcement agencies when they believe local laws may have been violated.
Reporting on behalf of others
Any person who promptly, reasonably, and in good faith reports an incident of bullying or harassment under this policy to a school official, shall be immune from any disciplinary action relating to such reports should it prove to be unfounded. Further, retaliation against anyone filing a good faith report or assisting or participating in a related investigation or proceeding is prohibited. An individual who knowingly files a false complaint or who gives false statements in an investigation shall be subject to disciplinary action.
Retaliation or threats of retaliation meant to intimidate the victim of bullying or harassment or toward those investigating the incident will not be tolerated.
A student found to have retaliated in violation of this policy shall be subject to measures up to, and including, suspension and denial of enrollment. A school employee found to have retaliated in violation of this policy shall be subject to measures up to, and including, termination of employment. A school volunteer found to have retaliated in violation of this policy shall be subject to measures up to, and including, exclusion from school grounds and all school activities.
An individual who knowingly files a false complaint or who gives false statements in an investigation shall be subject to the same disciplinary action as described in the preceding paragraph.
It is the responsibility of the General Director, in conjunction with the Directive Council, to develop procedures regarding this policy. The General Director also is responsible to ensure that training programs are developed for students, school officials, employees and volunteers who have direct contact with students. The training will include how to recognize harassment and what to do in case a student, employee, or volunteer is harassed. It will also include proven effective harassment prevention strategies.
The school will publicize this policy by including it in the Student-Parent Handbook and Employee Handbook, as well as placing it on the school website.