Bullying and Harassment
What is bullying?
Bullying is a conscious, willful, deliberate activity intended to harm in which the bully uses power through actions or intimidation to cause pain and/or misery. It can be verbal, physical, electronic and/or relational. It can include as its focus, but is not limited to, a person’s actual or perceived:
- Physical attributes
- Mental ability/disability
- Race,
- Ethnicity,
- Weight,
- Religious practice,
- Gender,
- Sexual orientation,
- Socio-economic status, and
- Other differences (perceived or real).
It includes all forms of hazing and cyberbullying that may have an effect on our school environment. It can be and often is continuous and repeated over time, but does not have to be.
Once is enough to constitute bullying.
No form of bullying or harassment will be tolerated in the school
BH-BL invested much time and energy into improving anti-bullying procedures and staff training, and ensuring that our schools were ready to meet the additional requirements of New York’s Dignity for All Students Act (DASA), which took effect on July 1, 2012. [Commissioner’s Regulations]
BH-BL is committed to providing an educational and working environment that promotes respect, dignity and equality for all students, staff and parents. Our policies condemn and prohibit all forms of discrimination, such as harassment, hazing and bullying on school grounds, on school buses, at school bus pick-up sites, and at all school-sponsored activities, programs and events.
The district needs not only staff but also parents and other students to speak up when they see bullying taking place. As our children grow, mature, and learn to understand the impact of their words and actions on others, they need to receive a consistent message that certain words and certain behaviors are not acceptable.
Our schools cannot effectively address bullying if incidents are not reported. Anyone (including students) who feels that he or she has been bullied or harassed, who wants to report an incident of someone else being bullied, or who has questions on this topic should contact the relevant school Anti-Bullying Coordinator, as shown below.
BH-BL is an approved provider for DASA certification training. On-site classes are offering monthly.
BH-BL Anti-bullying Coordinators
- High School: Principal Tim Brunson, Ext. 83303
- Middle School: Principal Colleen Wolff, Ext. 84001
- Charlton Heights Elementary School: Principal Abbey North, Ext. 85500
- Pashley Elementary School: Principal Jill Bonacio, Ext. 84500
- Stevens Elementary School: Principal Rick Evans, Ext. 83500
- District DASA Coordinator: Mike Nickson, Ext. 85006
- District Title IX Representative: Dacey Bonney, Ext. 85011.