Ridgemont Local School District is committed to providing a culture of respect that provides a safe and caring learning environment for all students. Therefore, harassment, intimidation, and/or discrimination of any student, staff member, or other individuals by any person or group will be prohibited on school property or at any school-sponsored activity.
The prohibition against hazing, dating violence, harassment, intimidation or bullying is publicized in student handbooks, and in the publications that set the standard of conduct for schools and student in the District. In addition, information regarding the policy is incorporated into employee professional development and training materials.
Harassment/Intimidation Defined: Hazing, bullying and/or dating violence means any incident of intentional written, verbal, graphic or physical acts, including electronically transmitted acts, either overt or covert, by a student or group of students toward other students/school personnel with the intent to haze, harass, intimidate, injure, threaten, ridicule or humiliate.
Bullying Defined: a conscious, repeated, hostile, aggressive behavior of an individual or a group abusing their position with the intension to harm others or gain real or perceived power.
When investigating a possible bullying situation, we will test the situation against the following three questions:
- Does the individual suspected of bullying have more power than the individual suspected of receiving the bullying behavior?
- Have there been a series of incidents?
- Has it been the intention of the individual suspected of bullying to purposely cause harm to the individual suspected of receiving the bullying behavior?
The questions above are used to determine whether an incident qualifies as bullying. If the answer to any of the above questions is ‘Yes’, then it is possible this is a bullying incident. However, any ‘No’ answers may indicate a negative situation which needs to be addressed but does not qualify as bullying.
To report an incident of bullying, harassment, or discrimination please contact the building principal or submit a report via Stay Safe. Speak Up! If you feel this is an emergency outside school hours please contact your local law enforcement.