Round Lake Area Schools Family & Community Engagement

ONLINE METHOD TO REPORT BULLYING:

Utilize the 'ENGAGE WITH OUR TIPLINE' application found by scrolling to the bottom of the Round Lake School District (and individual school) homepage.

Bullying, intimidation, and harassment diminish a student’s ability to learn and a school’s ability to educate. Preventing students from engaging in these disruptive behaviors and providing all students equal access to a safe, non-hostile learning environment are important district and school goals.

Bullying on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, national origin, military status, unfavorable discharge status from the military service, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender-related identity or expression, ancestry, age, religion, physical or mental disability, order of protection status, status of being homeless, or actual or potential marital or parental status, including pregnancy, association with a person or group with one or more of the aforementioned actual or perceived characteristics, or any other distinguishing characteristic is prohibited in each of the following situations:  

1. During any school-sponsored education program or activity.
2. While in school, on school property, on school buses or other school vehicles, at designated school bus stops waiting for the school bus, or at school-sponsored or school-sanctioned events or activities.
3. Through the transmission of information from a school computer, a school computer network, or other similar electronic school equipment.
4. Through the transmission of information from a computer that is accessed at a non-school-related location, activity, function, or program or from the use of technology or an electronic device that is not owned, leased, or used by the school district or school if the bullying causes a substantial disruption to the educational process or orderly operation of a school. *

*Item 4 applies only when a school administrator or teacher receives a report that bullying through this means has occurred; it does not require staff members to monitor any nonschool-related activity, function, or program.

Bullying includes cyber-bullying and means any severe or pervasive physical or verbal act or conduct, including communications made in writing or electronically, directed toward a student or students that has or can be reasonably predicted to have the effect of one or more of the following:

1. Placing the student or students in reasonable fear of harm to the student’s or students’ person or property;
2. Causing a substantially detrimental effect on the student’s or students’ physical or mental health;
3. Substantially interfering with the student’s or students’ academic performance; or
4. Substantially interfering with the student’s or students’ ability to participate in or benefit from the services, activities, or privileges provided by a school.

Cyberbullying means bullying through the use of technology or any electronic communication, including without limitation any transfer of signs, signals, writing, images, sounds, data, or intelligence of any nature transmitted in whole or in part by a wire, radio, electromagnetic system, photo-electronic system, or phone-optical system, including without limitation electronic mail, Internet communications, instant messages, or facsimile communications.  Cyberbullying includes the creation of a webpage or weblog in which the creator assumes the identity of another person or the knowing impersonation of another person as the author of posted content or messages if the creation or impersonation creates any of the effects enumerated in the definition of bullying.  Cyberbullying also includes the distribution by electronic means of a communication to more than one person or the posting of material on an electronic medium that may be accessed by one or more persons if the distribution or posting creates any of the effects enumerated in the definition of bullying.

Bullying may take various forms, including without limitation one or more of the following: harassment, threats, intimidation, stalking, physical violence, sexual harassment, sexual violence, theft, public humiliation, destruction of property, or retaliation for asserting or alleging an act of bullying.  This list is meant to be illustrative and non-exhaustive.

Students are encouraged to immediately report bullying. A report may be made orally or in writing to the Nondiscrimination Coordinator, Building Principal, Assistant Building Principal, Associate Principal, Dean of Students, a Complaint Manager, or any staff member with whom the student is comfortable speaking. Anyone, including staff members and parents/guardians, who has information about actual or threatened bullying is encouraged to report it to the District named officials or any staff member. The District named officials and all staff members are available for help with a bully or to make a report about bullying.  Anonymous reports are also accepted.

Nondiscrimination Coordinator for Round Lake Community Unit School District are:

Dr. Donn Mendoza, Superintendent
P. 224.842.2003
dmendoza@rlas-116.org 

Complaint Managers for Round Lake Community Unit School District are:

Eric Apgar, Executive Director of Student Services
P. 224.842.2075
eapgar@rlas-116.org 

and

Dr. Mary Lamping, Chief Operations Officer
P. 224.842.2011
mlamping@rlas-116.org

A reprisal or retaliation against any person who reports an act of bullying is prohibited. A student’s act of reprisal or retaliation will be met with disciplinary consequences and appropriate remedial actions consistent with this and other Board policies.

A student will not be punished for reporting bullying or supplying information, even if the District’s investigation concludes that no bullying occurred. However, knowingly making a false accusation or providing knowingly false information will be met with disciplinary consequences and appropriate remedial actions consistent with this and other Board policies. 

Students and parents/guardians are also encouraged to read the following school district policies: 7:20, Harassment of Students Prohibited and 7:180, Prevention of and Response to Bullying, Intimidation and Harassment.

Cross-references:
Round Lake Area Schools Community Unit District 116 Policy 7:20, Harassment of Students Prohibited
Round Lake Area Schools Community Unit District 116 Policy 7:180, Prevention of and Response to Bullying, Intimidation, and Harassment
Round Lake Area Schools Community Unit District 116 Policy 7:190, Student Behavior
Round Lake Area Schools Community Unit District 116 Policy 2:260, Harassment of Students Prohibited