Series 5000: Students

5131.911 Bullying

Bullying Prevention and Intervention 

The Board of Education (Board) promotes a secure and happy school climate, conducive to teaching  and learning that is free from threat, harassment and any type of bullying behavior. Therefore, it  shall be the policy of the Board that bullying of a student by another student is prohibited. 

Such conduct is disruptive of the educational process and, therefore, bullying is not acceptable  behavior in this district and is prohibited. 

Students who engage in any act of bullying, on school grounds, at a school-sponsored or school related activity, function or program whether on or off school grounds, at a school bus stop, on a  school bus or other vehicle owned, leased or used by the Board of Education, or through the use of  an electronic device or an electronic mobile device owned, leased or used by the Board of Education,  and outside of the school setting if such bullying: 

1. creates a hostile environment at school for the victim, 

2. infringes on the rights of the victim at school, or 

3. substantially disrupts the education process or the orderly operation of a school, 

are subject to appropriate disciplinary action up to and including suspension, expulsion and/or  referral to law enforcement officials. 

The Board believes that a school environment in which students feel safe, supported, engaged and  helpfully challenged is optimal for learning and healthy development. The Board seeks an  environment in which students and adults feel socially, emotionally, intellectually and physically  safe; an environment that is free of harassment, discrimination, teen dating violence, intimidation  and bullying.

“Bullying” means an act that is direct or indirect and severe, persistent or pervasive which: 

A. causes physical or emotional harm to an individual, 

B. places an individual in reasonable fear of physical or emotional harm, or, C. infringes on the rights and opportunities of an individual at school. 

Bullying shall include, but need not be limited to, a written, oral, or electronic communication or  physical act or gesture based on any actual or perceived differentiating characteristic, such as race,  color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression,  socioeconomic status, academic status, physical appearance, or mental, physical, developmental or  sensory disability, or by association with an individual or group who has or is perceived to have one  or more of such characteristics. 

Examples of bullying include, but are not limited to: 

1. physical violence and attacks 

2. verbal taunts, name-calling and put-downs including ethnically-based or gender based verbal put-downs 

3. threats and intimidation 

4. extortion or stealing of money and/or possessions 

5. exclusion from peer groups within the school 

6. The misuse of electronic communications for the purpose of bullying, harassing, or sexually harassing other students within school or out of school (“cyberbullying”) 

7. Targeting of a student based on the student’s actual or perceived “differentiating” characteristics such as race; color; religion; ancestry; national origin; gender; sexual orientation; gender identity or expression; socioeconomic or academic status; physical appearance; or mental, physical, developmental, or sensory disability

“Cyberbullying” means any act of bullying through the use of the Internet, interactive and digital  technologies, cellular mobile telephone or other mobile electronic devices or any electronic  communications.

“Teen dating violence” means any act of physical, emotional or sexual abuse, including stalking, harassing and threatening that occurs between two students who are currently in or have recently  been in a dating relationship. 

“Mobile electronic device” means any hand-held or other portable electronic equipment capable  of providing data communication between two or more individuals, including, but not limited to,  a text messaging device, a paging device, a personal digital assistant, a laptop computer, equipment that is capable of playing a video game or a digital video disk, or equipment on which digital  images are taken or transmitted. 

“Electronic communication” means any transfer of signs, signals, writing, images, sounds, data  or intelligence of any nature transmitted in whole or in part by a wire, radio, electromagnetic, photo  electronic or photo-optical system. 

“Hostile environment” means a situation in which bullying among students is sufficiently severe  or pervasive to alter the conditions of the school climate. 

“Outside of the school setting” means at a location, activity or program that is not school related,  or through the use of an electronic device or a mobile electronic device that is not owned, leased  or used by a local or regional board of education. 

“School employee” means (a) a teacher, substitute teacher, school administrator, school  superintendent, guidance counselor, psychologist, social worker, nurse, physician, school  paraprofessional or coach employed by a local or regional board of education or working in a  public elementary, middle or high school; or (b) any other individual who, in the performance of  his or her duties, has regular contact with students and who provides services to or on behalf of  students enrolled in a public elementary, middle or high school, pursuant to a contract with the  local or regional board of education. 

“School climate” means the quality and character of school life with a particular focus on the  quality of the relationships within the school community between and among students and adults.  (and reflects norms, values, interpersonal relationships, teaching and learning practices and  organizational structures.) 

“Positive school climate” means (A) a school climate in which the norms, values, expectations and  beliefs that support feelings of social, emotional and physical safety are promoted, (B) students,  parents and guardians of students and school employees feel engaged and respected and work  together to develop and contribute to a shared school vision, (C) educators model and nurture  attitudes that emphasize the benefits and satisfaction gained from learning, and (D) each person feels  comfortable contributing to the operation of the school and care of the physical environment of the  school.

“Emotional intelligence” means the ability to (A) perceive, recognize and understand emotions in  oneself or others, (B) use emotions to facilitate cognitive activities, including, but not limited to,  reasoning, problem solving and interpersonal communication, (C) understand and identify emotions,  and (D) manage emotions in oneself and others. 

“Social and emotional learning” means the process through which children and adults achieve  emotional intelligence through the competencies of self-awareness, self-management, social  awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision-making. 

Students and/or parents may file verbal or written complaints concerning suspected bullying or teen  dating violence behavior, and students shall be permitted to anonymously report acts of bullying or  teen dating violence to school employees. Any report of suspected bullying or teen dating violence  behavior will be promptly reviewed. If acts of bullying or teen dating violence are verified, prompt  disciplinary action may be taken against the perpetrator, consistent with his/her rights of due process.  Board policy and regulation #5131.911 set forth this prohibition and the related procedures in detail,  and are available to students and their parents/guardians upon request. 

As part of this policy, the Board of Education shall develop and implement a Safe School Climate  Plan to address the existence of bullying and teen dating violence in its schools. 

Consistent with the requirements under state law, the Board of Education authorizes the  Superintendent or his/her designee(s), along with the Safe School Climate Coordinator, to be  responsible for developing and implementing a Safe School Climate Plan in furtherance of this  policy. As provided by state law, such Safe School Climate Plan shall include, but not be limited to  provisions which: 

1. Enable students to anonymously report acts of bullying to school employees and require students and the parents or guardians of students to be notified at the beginning of each school year of the process by which students may make such reports; 

2. enable the parents or guardians of students to file written reports of suspected bullying; 

3. require school employees who witness acts of bullying or receive reports of bullying to orally notify the Safe School Climate Specialist, or another school administrator if the Safe School Climate Specialist is unavailable, not later than one school day after such school employee witnesses or receives a report of bullying, and to file a written report not later than two school days after making such oral report; 

4. require the Safe School Climate Specialist to investigate or supervise the investigation of all reports of bullying and ensure that such investigation is completed promptly after receipt of any written reports made under this section and that the parents or guardians of the student alleged to have committed an act or acts of bullying and the parents or guardians of the student

5. require the Safe School Climate Specialist to review any anonymous reports, except that no disciplinary action shall be taken solely on the basis of an anonymous report; 

6. include a prevention and intervention strategy for school employees to deal with bullying and teen dating violence; 

7. provide for the inclusion of language in student codes of conduct concerning bullying; 

8. require each school to notify the parents or guardians of students who commit any verified acts of bullying and the parents or guardians of students against whom such acts were directed not later than forty-eight hours after the completion of the investigation; 

9. require each school to invite the parents or guardians of a student against whom such act was directed to a meeting to communicate to such parents or guardians the measures being taken by the school to ensure the safety of the student against whom such act was directed and policies and procedures in place to prevent further acts of bullying; 

10. require each school to invite the parents or guardians of a student who commits any verified act of bullying to a meeting, separate and distinct from the meeting required in subdivision (9) above, to discuss specific interventions undertaken by the school to prevent further acts of bullying; 

11. establish a procedure for each school to document and maintain records relating to reports and investigations of bullying in such school and to maintain a list of the number of verified acts of bullying in such school and make such list available for public inspection, and annually report such number to the Department of Education and in such manner as prescribed by the Commissioner of Education; 

12. direct the development of case-by-case interventions for addressing repeated incidents of bullying against a single individual or recurrently perpetrated bullying incidents by the same individual that may include both counseling and discipline; 

13. prohibit discrimination and retaliation against an individual who reports or assists in the investigation of an act of bullying; 

14. direct the development of student safety support plans for students against whom an act of bullying was directed that address safety measures the school will take to protect such students against further acts of bullying; 

15. require the Principal of a school, or the Principal’s designee, to notify the appropriate local law enforcement agency when such Principal, or the Principal’s designee, believes that any acts of bullying constitute criminal conduct;

16. prohibit bullying (A) on school grounds, at a school-sponsored or school-related activity, function or program whether on or off school grounds, at a school bus stop, on a school bus or other vehicle owned, leased or used by a local or regional Board of Education, or through the use of an electronic device or an electronic mobile device owned, leased or used by the local or regional Board of Education, and (B) outside of the school setting if such bullying (i) creates a hostile environment at school for the student against whom such bullying was directed, or (ii) infringes on the rights of the student against whom such bullying was directed at school, or (iii) substantially disrupts the education process or the orderly operation of a school; 

17. require, at the beginning of each school year, each school to provide all school employees with a written or electronic copy of the school district’s safe school climate plan; and 

18. require that all school employees annually complete the training described in Connecticut General Statute §10-220a. 

The notification required pursuant to subdivision (8) (above) and the invitation required pursuant to  subdivisions (9) and (10) (above) shall include a description of the response of school employees to  such acts and any consequences that may result from the commission of further acts of bullying. Any  information provided under this policy or accompanying Safe School Climate Plan shall be provided  in accordance with the confidentiality restrictions imposed under the Family Educational Rights  Privacy Act (“FERPA”) and the district’s Confidentiality and Access to Student Information policy  and regulations. 

By September 1, 2014, the Board of Education shall submit its Safe School Climate Plan to the  Department of Education for review and approval. Not later than thirty (30) calendar days after  approval by the Department, the Board shall make such plan available on the Board’s and each  individual school in the school district’s web site and ensure that the Safe School Climate Plan is  included in the school district’s publication of the rules, procedures and standards of conduct for  schools and in all student handbooks. 

The Board of Education shall, by July 1, 2021, publish on the District’s website the plain language  explanation of the rights and remedies available under C.G.S. 10-4a and C.G.S. 10-4b. 

The Board of Education, in consultation with the State Department of Education (SDE) and the social  and emotional learning and school climate advisory collaborative, shall provide on the SBE’s website  training materials to school administrators regarding bullying prevention and intervention.

(cf. 0521 – Nondiscrimination) 

(cf. 4131 – Staff Development) 

(cf. 5114 – Suspension and Expulsion/Due Process) 

(cf. 5131 – Conduct) 

(cf. 5131.21 – Violent and Aggressive Behavior) 

(cf. 5131.8 – Out-of-School Misconduct) 

(cf. 5131.912 – Aggressive Behavior) 

(cf. 5131.913 – Cyberbullying) 

(cf. 5131.91 – Hazing) 

(cf. 5144 – Discipline/Punishment) 

(cf. 5145.4 – Nondiscrimination) 

(cf. 5145.5 – Sexual Harassment) 

(cf. 5145.51 – Peer Sexual Harassment) 

(cf. 6121 – Nondiscrimination) 

(cf. 6121.1 – Equal Educational Opportunity) 

Legal Reference:

Connecticut General Statutes 

10-15b Access of parent or guardian to student’s records. Inspection and subpoena of school or student records. 

10-222d Policy on bullying behavior as amended by PA 08-160, P.A. 11- 232, P.A. 14-172, PA 18-15 and PA 19-166) 

P.A. 06-115 An Act Concerning Bullying Policies in Schools and Notices 

Sent to Parents or Legal Guardians. 

P.A. 11-232 An Act Concerning the Strengthening of School Bullying Laws. P.A. 13-3 An Act Concerning Gun Violence Protection and Safety. 

P.A. 14-172 An Act Concerning Improving Employment Opportunities through Education and Ensuring Safe School Climates. 

P.A. 14-234 An Act Concerning Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault. 

P.A. 19-166 An Act Concerning School Climates.

Policy adopted: June 13, 2022 THOMASTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS Thomaston, Connecticut