WATERBURY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

CONN. GEN. STATUTE

SECTION 10-222 D

1
 PUBLIC ACT 11-232

• Takes comprehensive steps to prevent bullying and

ensure every child the right to learn in public school
without fear of teasing, humiliation or assault.

• Responds to alarming evidence that bullying impedes

Connecticut students’ ability to succeed in school.

2
 PUBLIC ACT 11-232
• Speeds school response

• Expands staff training

• Makes all school employees mandated reporters of bullying

• Addresses cyber-bullying

• Launches statewide school climate assessments

3
NEW LAW: PUBLIC ACT. NO. 11-232

DEFINITION OF BULLYING:

•Repeated written, oral, or electronic communications by one

or more students, such as cyber-bullying, directed at or
referring to another student attending school in the same
school district
AND/OR

•Repeated physical acts or gestures by one or more students

that are directed against another student

4
 BULLYING IS
A REPEATED ACTION THAT:
(A) Causes physical or emotional harm to the student or
damage to the student's property,

(B) Places the student in reasonable fear of harm to himself

or herself, or of damage to his or her property,

(C) Creates a hostile environment at school for such student

(a hostile environment is a situation in which bullying among
students is sufficiently severe or pervasive as to alter
the conditions of the school climate),

5
 BULLYING IS
A REPEATED ACTION THAT:

(D) infringes on the rights of the student at school, or

(E) substantially disrupts the education process or the

orderly operation of a school.

6
INCLUDES, BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO

A written, oral or electronic communication or physical act

or gesture based on any actual or perceived differentiating
characteristic, such as:
•race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender,
sexual orientation, gender identity or expression,
socioeconomic status, academic status, physical
appearance,
•or mental, physical, developmental or sensory disability,
•or by association with an individual or group who has or is
perceived to have one or more of such characteristics
7
 THE ACT EXPANDS BULLYING

Now includes “cyber-bullying”:

Acts of bullying carried out through mobile electronic

devices or electronic communications, the Internet,
interactive and digital technologies, or cell phones.

8
 EXPANDS RESPONSIBILITY

• The act expands the responsibilities of

reporting bullying to many school
employees.

• It also requires annual training for

school employees.
9
 DEFINES SCHOOL EMPLOYEE
• "School employee" is anyone who is employed by a
local or regional board of education or works in a
public school as:

• (A) a teacher, substitute teacher, school administrator,

school superintendent, guidance counselor,
psychologist, social worker, nurse, physician, school
paraprofessional or coach employed by a local or
regional board of education or working in a public
elementary, middle or high school; or

10
 DEFINES SCHOOL EMPLOYEE

•(B) any other individual who, in the performance of his or

her duties, has regular contact with students and who
provides services to or on behalf of students enrolled in a
public elementary, middle or high school, pursuant to a
contract with the local or regional board of education; and or
provides services to or on behalf of students in a public
school under a contract with the school board and whose
duties involve regular student contact.

11
 EXPANDS THE LOCATION

The location now includes inside and outside of

the school setting
•at a school-sponsored or school-related activity on or off
school grounds;
•at a school bus stop;
•on a school bus or any other vehicle the school board
owns, leases, or uses;
•or through an electronic device the school board owns,
leases, or uses.
12
 EXPANDS THE LOCATION

…as well as bullying that occurs outside these

locations if:

•it creates a hostile environment for a student at

school,

•infringes on a student’s rights at school, or

•substantially disrupts the education process or the

school’s orderly operation.
  13
 SAFE SCHOOL CLIMATE PLANS

The law requires each local and regional

board of education to develop and
implement a policy to address bullying in
its schools to be called:

“Safe School Climate Plans.”

14
 SAFE SCHOOL CLIMATE PLAN

• Enables students to report complaints to any

school employee and
• Requires students’ parents/guardians, as well
as the students themselves, to be notified every
year of the process by which students may
make such reports.
• If parents/guardians claim bullying, they must
be given the complaint form to fill out.
15
 SAFE SCHOOL CLIMATE PLAN

• Assigns investigation responsibility to a

safe school climate specialist in the
school, who must be either the school’s
principal or his or her designee. Our
District is using social workers as the
school climate specialist in many schools.

16
 SAFE SCHOOL CLIMATE PLAN

• Prohibits retaliation or discrimination against those

who report or help investigate bullying,
• Addresses what the school will do to protect the
targeted student from further bullying, and
• Requires a school principal or his or her designee to
notify the police when they suspect that an act of
bullying constitutes a crime.
• Our plan is located at Section 5131.911 of the Board
of Education Policies.

17
 SAFE SCHOOL CLIMATE PLAN

• Each school must maintain a publicly available

list of the number of verified bullying incidents.
• Each school must establish procedures for
schools to document and maintain records of
bullying investigations.
• Each school must report annually to the CSDE
the number of verified bullying incidents at the
school.

18
 THE LAW REQUIRES THAT

• A school employee who witnesses bullying or

receives a report of bullying to notify either
the school climate specialist or, if that person
is not available, another school administrator,
orally within one school day.
• The employee must follow up with a written
report within two school days after providing
oral notice.

19
 THE LAW REQUIRES THAT

• The specialist, rather than any school

administrator, investigate, or supervise
an investigation of the bullying report.
• The specialist must complete the
investigation promptly.
• The specialist must also review any
anonymous reports.
20