An Administrator's Guide to California Private School Law

Chapter 7 - Recognizing And Preventing Harassment, Discrimination And Retaliation

 Make compliance with the School’s polices a job performance standard;  Encourage reporting at all levels;  Take reports of bullying behavior seriously and interface with Human Resources/Personnel to assure compliance with the School’s investigative protocol;  Discipline as appropriate when School policy has been violated;  Follow-up with the target for an extended period of time to determine if any other issues have arisen;  Do not reward bullying behavior or accomplishments; and  Be a good role model.

D. A N O VERVIEW O F S TUDENT B ULLYING Bullying is a serious yet oftentimes overlooked issue. Part of the challenge is that bullying is not always obvious or otherwise known or may be difficult to define, and administrators lack guidance for tackling the problem. It is important for schools to define bullying. If they don’t, parents will often define it themselves, which can lead to complaints about any perceived slight against their child. 1. W HAT C ONSTITUTES B ULLYING ? The California Education Code (Education Code § 48900(r)) defines bullying as severe or pervasive physical or verbal acts or conduct, including written or electronic, by one or more students directed to one or more students, reasonably predicted to cause fear of harm to person or property, substantially detrimental effect on physical or mental health, substantial interference with academic performance, or substantial interference with ability to participate in or benefit from school services, activities or privileges. While the anti-bullying laws in the Education Code do not apply to private schools, they provide helpful guidance. Common forms of bullying:  Name calling or insults;  Threats;  Physical violence (hitting, tripping, shoving, pinching);  Spreading rumors or lies, gossiping;  Leering, stalking, graffiti, threatening gestures;  Blackmailing, shunning, rating personal characteristics;  Cyberbullying; and  Hazing.

An Administrator’s Guide to California Private School Law ©2019 Liebert Cassidy Whitmore 228