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HCPSS / POLICIES

Policy 7140 Implementation Procedures - Bullying, Cyberbullying, Harassment, and Intimidation Involving HCPSS Employees

Policy Document

Implementation Procedures

I. Announcement/Dissemination of Information

The Superintendent/designee will annually ensure that HCPSS employees are aware of the Bullying, Harassment, or Intimidation Form For Use by Employees and how to access it online and in hard copy. The form will be readily available and accessible to HCPSS employees. At a minimum, hard copies of the Bullying, Harassment, or Intimidation Form For Use by Employees will be available in the main office and staff workroom. Additionally, this form can be accessed on the HCPSS website or by contacting the Compliance and Investigations Officer.

II. Reporting Procedures

  1. School administrators/supervisors will maintain a workplace culture in which HCPSS employees may complete a Bullying, Harassment, or Intimidation Form For Use by Employees without fear of retaliation.

  2. HCPSS employees who feel they have been bullied, harassed, or intimidated will report any such incidents to a school administrator, supervisor, or the Compliance and Investigations Officer, as appropriate.

    1. HCPSS employees can complete and submit the Bullying, Harassment, or Intimidation Form For Use by Employees to a school administrator, supervisor, or Compliance and Investigations Officer in person, by mail, or electronically.

    2. If the alleged offender is the HCPSS employee’s immediate supervisor, they may report the alleged incident directly to the Compliance and Investigations Officer.

  3. If an HCPSS employee wishes to discuss the incident of bullying or harassment with the school administrator, supervisor, or the Compliance and Investigations Officer, they will be provided with a practical, safe, private, and appropriate way of doing so.

  4. Reports of bullying or harassment of an HCPSS employee by an HCPSS student will be handled through HCPSS Policy 9200 Student Discipline, as appropriate.

III. Investigation Procedures

  1. School administrators/supervisors will contact the Compliance and Investigations Officer within two school days after receipt of the Bullying, Harassment, or Intimidation Form For Use by Employees. The Compliance and Investigations Officer will determine the appropriate investigator.

  2. School administrators, supervisors, or the Compliance and Investigations Officer will notify in a timely manner the HCPSS employee(s) who has/have been accused of participating in the incident that a complaint regarding violation of the policy has been made.

  3. School administrators, supervisors, or the Compliance and Investigations Officer will comply with due process rights under the appropriate master agreement and/or HCPSS policy.

  4. School administrators, supervisors, or the Compliance and Investigations Officer will strive to maintain the confidentiality of the targeted individual, the accused, and the witnesses to the extent possible.

  5. School administrators, supervisors, or the Compliance and Investigations Officer will inform all parties involved that they are strongly encouraged not to discuss or share any information regarding the incident in question, with the exception of the appropriate HCPSS school-based employee, union representative, legal counsel, or law enforcement personnel.

  6. The accused will be informed that retaliation, bullying, and harassment against the targeted individual or bystander/witness is strictly prohibited and that progressive consequences will occur if the activity continues.

  7. School administrators, supervisors, or the Compliance and Investigations Officer will create a written record of the employee bullying or harassment incident and any disciplinary actions taken, as well as the statements of the targeted individual, witnesses, and accused. Discussions with all parties will be documented as soon as possible after the event. Any material records or evidence will be kept while a criminal investigation or prosecution resulting from the incident is ongoing. All investigation documentation should be secured in a separate investigatory file.

  8. During and/or after the investigation, school administrators, supervisors, or the Compliance and Investigations Officer may recommend supports outlined in Section VI.B. below.

  9. School administrators, supervisors, or the Compliance and Investigations Officer will contact the targeted individual within two weeks after the conclusion of the investigation to confer that there has been a resolution to the reported incident.

  10. The school administrator, supervisor, or Compliance and Investigations Officer will notify the targeted individual and the accused, in writing, of the results of the investigation. Individuals may also request a meeting to discuss the results of the investigation.

IV. Violations of Policy

  1. Any school administrator/supervisor who believes that an HCPSS employee has violated this policy will also consider whether the behavior constitutes a violation of other HCPSS policies.

  2. If, after an investigation, it is determined that employee bullying or harassment did occur, the following procedures will be followed:

    1. The school administrator/supervisor will take appropriate action in accordance with Policy 7030 Employee Conduct and Discipline and relevant master agreements. Action against an individual who is not an HCPSS employee, will be taken in accordance with relevant HCPSS policies and other appropriate state and federal laws.

    2. HCPSS employees will be counseled and notified of their rights, in writing, when in violation of this policy and will be notified of the disciplinary consequences.

V. Intervention

  1. School administrators/supervisors will provide appropriate assistance to HCPSS employees who have been affected by behavior prohibited in this policy.

  2. An HCPSS employee who violates this policy may be required by the school administrator/supervisor to participate in appropriate intervention to increase the employee’s understanding of the offense and its impact on others.

  3. The targeted HCPSS employee and the individual(s) who has/have been accused of participating in the incident can mutually agree to participate in a mediation or a facilitated conversation with a neutral third-party in lieu of a formal investigation. The Compliance and Investigations Officer should be contacted to arrange for a neutral third-party to mediate and/or facilitate a conversation to resolve the complaint.

VI. Supports

Supports and services available for HCPSS employees may include, but are not limited to:

  1. School System

    1. Appropriate school administrator/supervisor

    2. Appropriate Community Superintendent or Director of Schools

    3. Compliance and Investigations Officer

    4. Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

    5. Mediation (if all parties agree)

  2. Community/Family

    1. Public or private community-based mental health services

    2. Law enforcement agencies

    3. Health Department programs

    4. Community mediations

    5. Faith-based services.

VII. Monitoring

Policy 7140 implementation procedures will be overseen by the Office of Human Resources.

VIII. History

ADOPTED: June 8, 2023

REVIEWED:

MODIFIED:

REVISED:

EFFECTIVE: July 1, 2023

Policy History Key

  • Adopted-Original date the Board took action to approve a policy
  • Reviewed-The date the status of a policy was assessed by the Superintendent’s Standing Policy Group
  • Modified-The date the Board took action to alter a policy that based on the recommendation of the Superintendent/designee did not require a comprehensive examination
  • Revised-The date the Board took action on a that policy based on the recommendation of the Superintendent/designee needed a comprehensive examination
  • Effective-The date a policy is implemented throughout the HCPSS, typically July 1 following Board action.