ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, September 11, 1996 TAG: 9609130067
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
Students can be expelled from Roanoke schools if they use racial or religious epithets or sexually harass other students under a policy that was approved Tuesday night by the School Board.
"We want to send a message that school is no place for harassment or bully behavior," Superintendent Wayne Harris said. "We won't tolerate it by students or anyone else in school."
The policy requires school principals to investigate all complaints of sexual, racial and religious harassment by students.
The penalties can range from a conference with students and parents to expulsion, Harris said.
"If there is a serious harassment involving epithets or sexual assaults, students could be expelled," he said. "This will help keep our schools safe and free of harassing behavior."
Harris recommended the policy last month and the board gave final approval without dissent.
While school officials said the policy is designed mainly to cover student-to-student harassment, board member Harry Davis asked if it prohibits students from harassing teachers.
"I want to make sure our teachers are protected, too, " Davis said.
Ann Harman, executive for student services, said the policy also covers student-to-teacher harassment. She said it prohibits any school employee, student, volunteer or parent from harassing another person through conduct or communication of a sexual nature or regarding religion or race while on school property or attending school activities.
For several years, the schools have had an anti-harassment policy for teachers and other employees, but it did not apply specifically to students, Harman said.
Sexual, racial and religious harassment has not been a major problem in city schools, Harris said, but the policy is needed to help ensure that schools remain free of intimidation and offensive behavior.
Harman said there have been six reported cases of harassment in city schools in the past three years. Most have been handled by disciplinary review committees, she said.
Harris said the prohibition on religious harassment would apply to students who make fun of other students' head coverings or other clothing worn for religious reasons. It would also be a violation for students to criticize or belittle other students' forms of religious worship, he said.
Students could be disciplined if they used racial epithets or engaged in racial teasing of other students.
The policy prohibits retaliation for complaints that are filed in a good faith belief that sexual, racial or religious harassment may have occurred.
In other action, the board:
* Was told that the enrollment in city schools was 12,972 during the first week of the new year - about 128 below the estimate. But Harris predicted the schools will reach the projected 13,100 enrollment by the end of September.
* Asked Harris for a recommendation on Jeff Artis' request that competitive athletics be reinstated in the middle schools. Artis, a substitute teacher, is heading a petition drive to get a sports program in middle school. He said it will help keep youngsters in school and reduce the dropout rate.
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