JDDC Bullying 

JDDC 
Bullying 
The board of education prohibits bullying in any form by any student, staff member, or parent towards a student or a staff member on or while using school property, in a school vehicle, or at a school-sponsored activity or event. For the purposes of this policy, the term “bullying” shall have the meaning ascribed to it in Kansas law. 

The administration shall propose, and the board shall review and approve a plan to address bullying as  prohibited herein. The plan shall include provisions for the training and education of staff members and students and shall include appropriate community involvement as approved by the board. 

Students who have bullied others in violation of this policy may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including suspension and/or expulsion. If appropriate, students who violate the bullying prohibition shall be reported to local law enforcement.

For the purposes of this policy, bullying generally includes any intentional written, electronic, verbal, or physical act, when such act: 

• Physically harms a student, school employee, or patron, or damages the student’s, school employee’s,  or patron’s property; or 
• Has the effect of substantially interfering with a student’s education; or 
• Is severe, persistent, or pervasive, creating an intimidating or threatening environment; or 
• Has the effect of substantially disrupting the orderly operation of the classroom or school. 

“Intentional” refers to the individual’s choice to engage in the act rather than the ultimate impact of the action(s). 

Harassment, intimidation or bullying can take many forms including, but not limited to: slurs, rumors, jokes, innuendo’s, demeaning comments, drawing cartoons, pranks, gestures, physical attacks, threats, or other written, electronic, oral, or physical actions. 

This policy is not intended to prohibit expression of religious, philosophical, or political views, provided that the expression does not substantially disrupt the education environment. Many behaviors that do not rise to the level of harassment, intimidation, or bullying may still be prohibited by other district policies or building, classroom, or program rules. 

Corrective disciplinary action, counseling, and/or referral to other school district and community resources, including law enforcement, may be used to address and correct the behavior of the perpetrator(s) and mitigate any impact on the victim(s). 

False reports or retaliation for harassment, intimidation, or bullying also constitutes violations of this policy. 

USD 443 Bullying Plan (Also see Policies GAAE and JDDC) 

Bullying means: Any intentional gesture or any intentional written, verbal, electronic, or physical act or  threat either by any student, staff member, or parent towards a student or by any student, staff member or  parent towards a staff member that is sufficiently severe, persistent, or pervasive that it creates an  intimidating, threatening, or abusive educational environment that a reasonable person, under the  circumstances, knows or should know will have the effect of: 

• Harming a student or staff member, whether physically or mentally; 
• Damaging a student’s or staff member’s property: 
• Placing a student or staff member in reasonable fear of harm; or 
• Placing a student or staff member in reasonable fear of damage to the student’s or staff member’s  property. 

Bullying also includes cyberbullying. “Cyberbullying” means bullying by use of any electronic  communication device through means including, but not limited to, e-mail, instant messaging, text  messages, blogs, mobile phones, pagers, online games, and websites. 

Additionally, bullying means any form of intimidation or harassment prohibited by the board of education  of the school district in policies concerning bullying adopted pursuant to K.S.A. 72-6147 or subsection (e)  of K.S.A. 72-1138, and amendments thereto. USD 443 will not tolerate these actions by students, staff, or parents. 

For the purposes of this plan and its authorizing policies, “parent” includes a biological, adoptive, or step parent; guardian; custodian; or other person with authority to act on behalf of a student. 

Similarly, a “staff member” means any person employed by the district. 

Any act of bullying by either an individual student or group of students towards a student or staff member  of the district is prohibited on or while utilizing school property, in a school vehicle, or at school-sponsored  activities, programs, and events. This policy applies to students who directly engage in an act of bullying, to students who, by their behavior, support another student’s act of bullying, and to all staff members and parents who engage in similar behaviors.

Training concerning identifying, reporting, investigating, and preventing bullying behaviors as outlined in district policies and this plan shall be provided to students and staff members using resources available for such purpose and shall be provided through school assemblies, staff development, or other appropriate forums at least {annually/biannually}. 

USD 443 focuses on bullying prevention by: 

1. Developing a bullying prevention program based on the KSDE Bullying Prevention Resource Tool kit including addressing bullying, building adult capacity to change climate and culture, curriculum and instructional resources, and measuring social -emotional learning; 
2. Using the KSDE’s Social - Emotional and Character  Development Standards to address school bullying and student mental health; 
3. Implementing a social- emotional learning curriculum that includes an anti-bullying family engagement component; 
4. Providing students and families with information and resources annually on bullying, cyberbullying, digital citizenship and how to make smart choices on-line; 
5. Providing students and families with the district’s student behavior expectations relating to bullying and explanations for incidences that do not meet the legal definition of bullying; 
6. Tracking incidences of bullying including physical, cyber, verbal, and relational bullying and reporting this information to the Kansas State Board of Education; 
7. Collecting data on bullying incidences from social emotional data sources and annually reviewing  this information with the board of education; 
8. Developing an understanding that certain demographic groups are disproportionately bullied at a higher rate than peers based upon sex, disability, socio-economic status, religious beliefs, and race/ethnicity (including migrant populations);
9. Requiring all school employees to complete the following bullying prevention, identification, reporting and training module (describe district’s annual training program). 

The board or the district administration on behalf of the board may seek student, staff, parent, and/or community input on the adoption, revision, and/or implementation of the board’s bullying policies or plan as directed or approved by the board. 
No teacher, administrator, or school district employee shall engage in, permit, or tolerate bullying.

Retaliation against a victim, good faith reporter, or a witness to bullying is prohibited. A student or staff member who engages in an act of bullying, reprisal, retaliation, or false reporting of bullying, shall be  subject to discipline in accordance with school district policy and procedures. The school administration  and/or board may consider the following factors when determining an appropriate disciplinary action for  such prohibited conduct: the ages of the parties involved; the developmental and maturity levels, special education needs of the parties involved, and the nature, frequency, and severity of the behavior. 

Discipline guidelines for student bullying may be found in student and employee handbooks. Offenses over time or single offenses which are severe in nature may result in discipline up to and including  suspension and/or expulsion or termination from employment. Parents participating in prohibited bullying  conduct aimed at district students and/or staff members may jeopardize their access to district facilities;  district property; school sponsored activities, programs, and events; and/or district students and/or staff  members through the district’s communication systems. As appropriate, reports to local law enforcement will be filed to report criminal bullying behaviors. (See Policies EBC, GAAC, GAACA, JGEC, JGECA  and KN) 

Policy Reference: EBC

Policy Reference: GAAE

Policy References: JCE, JDD, JGEC and JGECA

Policy Reference: KGA

Adoption Date: 12/11/2007, Revised: 08/12/2013; 03/08/2016; 07/09/2018; 06/28/2021; 12/2025

JDDC REPORT TO LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT (BULLYING)

- Sample Form - 

Retype to suit local needs, remove from policy book and file with the clerk and principals. Form could also be included in staff or student handbooks.

Report to Local Law Enforcement
USD 443

Pursuant to Kansas law, the administrator or other school employee whose signature appears below is reporting the following crimes.

Briefly describe each incident and the person/s involved in a misdemeanor or felony behavior at school,  
on school property, or at a school activity. 

Date	School/Location	Student/s or Person/s Involved	Brief Description of Bullying Incident/s
1.
2.

School Districts are required by Federal Law and K.S.A. 72-6311 to protect the privacy rights of students under the age of 18.

Signed by Administrator or other school employee_________________________________

c/superintendent, USD 443
c/student’s file/employee’s file as allowed by applicable negotiated language

Revised:  06/28/2021; 12/2025