Bullying, Harassment, or Intimidation

• Policy: Upstate Homeschool Co-op (UHC) prohibits acts of bullying, harassment, or intimidation of a student by another student, or students, staff, or third parties that interferes with or disrupts a student’s ability to learn in a safe and orderly environment.
• Any student who believes he/she has been subject to bullying, harassment, or intimidation should report a complaint with either the Executive Director or the student’s designated UHC Administrator. Such a complaint may also be filed by a student’s parent.
• UHC will promptly investigate all complaints of bullying, harassment, or intimidation. The investigation shall include appropriate steps to determine what occurred and to take actions reasonably calculated to end the  bullying, harassment, or intimidation and prevent such misconduct from occurring again. UHC shall inform the complaining student and his/her parent(s) that appropriate actions were taken and shall be advised how to report any subsequent problems.
• If the investigation determines that bullying, harassment, or intimidation has occurred, UHC shall take reasonable, timely, age-appropriate, and effective corrective action. Examples of corrective action include, but are not limited to, disciplinary action against the aggressor, up to and including termination of an employee or expulsion of a student; special training or other interventions; apologies; and dissemination of statements that the school does not tolerate harassment, intimidation, or bullying. Individuals, including students, employees, parents, and volunteers, may also be referred to law enforcement officials.
• UHC’s policy is based on the principle that bullying, harassment, or intimidation is never acceptable. UHC will not tolerate any mean-spirited, unlawful or disruptive behavior, including any form of bullying, harassment, intimidation, cyberbullying, or retaliation in our school buildings, on school grounds, in school-related activities or any form of bullying, cyberbullying, or retaliation that occurs outside of school and creates a hostile school environment for the targeted student.
• Definition: “Bullying, harassment, or intimidation” is defined as a gesture, an electronic communication, or a written, verbal, physical or sexual act that a reasonable person should know will have the effect of: (a) harming a student, physically or emotionally, or damaging a student’s property, or placing a student in reasonable fear of personal harm or damage to his property; or (b)  insulting or demeaning a student or group of students in such a way as to cause substantial disruption in, or substantial interference with, the orderly operation of the school.
• The following actions may constitute  forms of bullying, harassment, or intimidation:
  • Physical aggression-including hitting, punching, kicking
  • Teasing or verbal abuse-including insults, name calling or racial/sexual remarks
  • Setting up humiliating experiences
  • Damaging a person’s property/possessions or taking them without permission
  • Threatening gestures, actions, or words
  • Written/verbal/ electronic messages that contain threats, putdowns, gossip or slandering
  • Bullying, harassment, or intimidation through, texting, social media platforms, or other electronic means (i.e., “Cyberbullying”)