The District prohibits bullying, including cyberbullying, as defined by state law. Retaliation against anyone involved in the complaint process is a violation of District policy and is prohibited.

 

Bullying is 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 satisfies the applicability requirements below and that:

 

1. 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;

2. Is sufficiently severe, persistent, or pervasive enough that the action or threat creates an intimidating, threatening, or abusive educational environment for a student;

3. Materially and substantially disrupts the educational process or the orderly operation of a classroom or school; or

4. Infringes on the rights of the victim at school; and

5. Includes cyberbullying.   Cyberbullying means bullying that is done through the use of any electronic communication device, including through the use of a cellular or other type of telephone, a computer, a camera, electronic mail, instant messaging, text messaging, a social media application, an Internet website, or any other Internet-based communication tool.

 

The aforementioned provisions apply to:

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1. 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;

2. Bullying that occurs 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

3. Cyberbullying that occurs off school property or outside of a school-sponsored or school-related activity if the cyberbullying:

   1. Interferes with a student’s educational opportunities; or

   2. Substantially disrupts the orderly operation of a classroom, school, or school-sponsored or school-related activity.

 

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, counselor, principal, or other District employee [see FFI].

 

The procedure for reporting bullying is posted on the District’s internet web site at www.denisonisd.net.