Bullying

Centerville ISD strives to prevent bullying, in accordance with the district’s policies, by promoting a respectful school climate; encouraging reporting of bullying incidents, including anonymous reporting; and investigating and addressing reported bullying incidents.

What is Bullying?

Bullying is defined in state law as 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.

Bullying includes cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is defined in state law as bullying that is done through the use of any electronic communication device, including through the use of a cellular or other type of telephone, computer, camera, email, instant messaging, text messaging, social media, internet, or any other internet-based communication tool.

These provisions apply to:

• 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 occus 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 a school-sponsored or school-related activity if the cyber bullying interferes with a student’s educational opportunities; or substantially disrupts the orderly operation of a classroom, school, or school-sponsored or school-related actvitiy.

How do I report bullying?

To obtain assistance and intervention, any student who believes that he or she has experienced bullying or believes that another student has experienced bullying should immediately report the alleged acts to a teacher, school counselor, principal, or other District employee.

What happens after bullying is reported?

When an allegation of bullying is reported, the principal or designee shall notify a parent of the alleged victim. They will also notify the parent of the student alleged to have engaged in the conduct. The principal or designee will investigate the report and make a determination whether bullying occurred.

If the results of an investigation indicate that bullying occurred, the District will promptly respond by taking appropriate discipliary action in accordance with the District’s Student Code of Conduct and may take corrective action reasonably calculated to address the conduct. If the investigation reveals improper conduct that did not rise to the level of prohibited conduct or bullying, the District may take action in accordance with the Student Code of Conduct or any other appropriate corrective action.

What if I don’t agree with the outcome?

A student who is dissatisfied with the outcome of the investigation may appeal through FNG (LOCAL), beginning at the appropriate level.

For more information, please visit FFI (LEGAL) and FFI (LOCAL).