District adds bullying to conduct policy

Deirdre Newman

NEWPORT-MESA -- Bullies beware -- the Newport-Mesa Unified School

District is now armed with a clear mandate on how to crack down on

intimidating behavior.

By a 6-1 vote, the school board approved the official

anti-intimidation rule and regulations Tuesday as part of the student

conduct policy. The new regulations are the culmination of two task

forces that spent nine months carefully crafting a strategy that includes

response tactics, intervention and follow-up.

The new policy is significant because it attacks the pervasive problem

of bullying -- often considered a rite of passage -- on many fronts,

including counseling, behavioral support and community resources.

“We wanted to make sure that consequences were embedded as a

foundation of the policy, and we also wanted to include help for the

victim and the bully,” said Jaime Castellanos, the district’s assistant

superintendent.

The district began considering the anti-intimidation issue earlier

this year at the request of parents who were concerned about violent

incidents at their schools.

The first task force worked to shape language to reflect the

district’s stance that violence and intimidation will not be tolerated.

The second task force was asked to support the district’s position with

concrete tactics to thwart intimidating behavior and to deal with its

repercussions.

The policy includes an initial response that highlights immediate

action. If the situation is not then resolved, an investigation will

follow. Consequences may include counseling, a parent conference,

detention, involuntary transfer, suspension or expulsion. The policy

refrains from citing specific examples of intimidating language or

bullying behavior.

Ryan Key, a student representative to the second task force, stressed

the importance of the systematic approach that will be employed.

“It will go from the teacher to the vice principal to an

investigation,” Ryan said. “There will be a lot going into making sure

we’re not doing anything rash.”

Most board members wholeheartedly supported the regulations. Wendy

Leece, who was the only trustee to vote against the original district

statement, continued her opposition based on freedom of speech issues.

Although she encountered an intimidating environment when she substituted

at Ensign Intermediate School in the ‘70s, Leece remains adamant that it

is not the role of educators or the government to enforce politically

correct speech.

“My philosophical world view is that we need less, not more government

control,” Leece said. “I think we need to do a lot more with intense

character training in the classroom to define kindness, courtesy, respect

and self-control.”

Task force members say there is a fine line between expressing an

opinion and bullying, but they are confident that the new policy will

enable teachers and administrators to discern the difference.

“We don’t want to stifle freedom of speech,” Castellanos said, “but

certain things are not acceptable.”

* Deirdre Newman covers education. She may be reached at (949)

574-4221 or by e-mail at o7 [email protected] .