Policies & Procedures

Anti-Bullying policies and procedures were developed in compliance with federal case law, guidance from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, and the definition of bullying contained in section §25.0342 of the Texas Education Code. The Red Oak Independent School District School Board has adopted a District policy prohibiting “harassment,” which typically addresses many of the behaviors that also constitute bullying. The District’s discrimination, harassment, and retaliation policy is FFH (LOCAL). A bullying policy was also adopted, as demonstrated within this manual and board policy FFI (LOCAL).

The Red Oak ISD School Board is committed to protecting its students and employees from bullying, harassment, or discrimination for any reason and of any type. The School Board believes that all students and employees are entitled to a safe, equitable, and harassment-free school experience. Bullying, discrimination, or harassment, will not be tolerated and shall be just cause for disciplinary action. The Red Oak ISD School Board has adopted policies and administrative procedures that:

1. prohibit bullying;
2. prohibit retaliation against any person, witness, or another person who in good faith provides information regarding bullying;
3. establish a procedure for providing notice of an incident of bullying to a parent or guardian of the alleged victim on or before the third business day after the date the incident is reported, and a parent or guardian of the alleged bully within a reasonable amount of time after the incident;
4. establish the actions a student should take to obtain assistance and intervention in response to bullying;
5. set out available counseling options for a student who is a victim of, is a witness to, or engages in bullying;
6. establish procedures for reporting an incident of bullying, including procedures for a student to anonymously report an incident of bullying, investigating a reported incident of bullying, and determining whether the reported incident of bullying occurred;
7. prohibit school officials from disciplining a student who is the victim of bullying, for the student’s use of reasonable self-defense in response to bullying; and
8. require that the discipline of a student with disabilities for bullying complies with federal law, including the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

The School Board amended the bullying transfer provisions in current board policy. Currently, the School Board or designee has authority to transfer the victim of bullying to another classroom or campus, and may also transfer a student who engages in bullying to (1) another classroom at the campus to which the victim was assigned at the time the bullying occurred; or (2) another campus in the District other than the campus to which the victim was assigned at the time the bullying occurred.

A student may be removed from class and placed in a disciplinary alternative education program or expelled if the student: 

• Engages in bullying that encourages a student to commit or attempt to commit suicide;
• Incites violence against a student through group bullying; or
• Releases or threatens to release intimate visual material of a minor or a student who is 18 years of age or older without the student’s consent.

To effectively address bullying and cyber-bullying, parents and students must be partners with District administrators. Only by working together will we be able to reduce the incidents of bullying in our schools.

What is Bullying?

Bullying means a single significant act or a pattern of acts by one or more students directed at another student that exploits an imbalance of power and involves engaging in written or verbal expression, expression through electronic means, or physical conduct that: (1) has the effect or will have the effect of physically harming a student, damaging a student’s property, or placing a student in reasonable fear of harm to the student’s person or of damage to the student’s property; (2) is sufficiently severe, persistent, or pervasive enough that the action or threat creates an intimidating, threatening, or abusive educational environment for a student; (3) materially and student disrupts the educational process or the orderly operation of a classroom or school; (4) or infringes on the rights of the victim at school; and includes cyberbullying.

This applies to: (1) bullying that occurs on or is delivered to school property or to the site of a school-sponsored or school-related activity on or off school property; (2) bullying that occurs on a publicly or privately owned school bus or vehicle being used for transportation of students to or from school or a school-sponsored or school-related activity; and (3) cyberbullying that occurs off school property or outside of a school-sponsored or school related activity if the cyberbullying:

(A) interferes with a student’s educational opportunities; or
(B) substantially disrupts the orderly operation of a classroom.

What is Cyberbullying?

Cyberbullying means bullying that is done through the use of any electronic communication device, including through the use of a cellular or other type of telephone, a computer, electronic mail, instant messaging, text messaging, a social media application, or any other Internet-based communication tool.

This applies to: (1) bullying that occurs on or is delivered to school property or to the site of a school-sponsored or school-related activity on or off school property; (2) bullying that occurs on a publicly or privately owned school bus or vehicle being used for transportation of students to or from school or a school-sponsored or school-related activity; and (3) cyberbullying that occurs off school property or outside of a school-sponsored or school related activity if the cyberbullying:

(A) interferes with a student’s educational opportunities; or
(B) substantially disrupts the orderly operation of a classroom.

Board Policy FFH

Sexual harassment of students, by either a District employee or another student, is conduct that is so severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive that it can be said to deprive the victim of access to the educational opportunities or benefits provided by the school. Sexual harassment does not include simple acts of teasing and name-calling among school children, however, even when the comments target differences in gender. Davis v. Monroe County Bd. of Educ., 526 U.S. 629 (1999). Download Sexual Harassment Policy for complete details on what qualifies as Sexual Harassment.

Any student who believes that he or she has experienced prohibited conduct or believes that another student has experienced prohibited conduct should immediately report the alleged acts to a teacher, counselor, principal, or other District employee. Alternatively, a student may report prohibited conduct directly to one of the District officials below:

• Title IX coordinator - Kevin Freels
• Director of Specialized Learning - Shana Owen
• Section 504 Coordinator - Magda Davis
• Superintendent - Brenda Sanford

Reports of prohibited conduct shall be made as soon as possible after the alleged act or knowledge of the alleged act. Any District employee who receives notice that a student has or may have experienced prohibited conduct shall immediately notify the appropriate District official listed above and take any other steps required by this policy. A failure to promptly report may impair the District’s ability to investigate and address the prohibited conduct.