BY CHLOE YOUNG
The grievance process
The outlook
A community member submits a complaint appealing the district’s determination.
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disciplined another student under federal law, said Jennifer Lyon, LTISD director of health and social emotional learning. Districts may still discipline students if their behavior doesn’t meet the legal definition of bullying but violates the code of conduct, district officials said. Parents may file a grievance with the district if they wish to challenge the determination or seek additional relief through filing a complaint with the TEA. David’s Law also allows minors or their parents to seek injunctive relief against a cyberbully and their parents, Molak said.
State law provides flexibility on how students are disciplined for bullying as it is determined by a dis- trict’s code of conduct, said Kathy Martinez-Prather, director of the Texas School Safety Center. The disciplinary response to bullying is deter- mined by campus administrators and can vary greatly based on the severity of each situation, officials with each district said. In EISD, a campus administrator may consider a student’s disciplinary history, intent, frequency and other factors, May said. Districts cannot share with parents how they
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The district holds a hearing for the request.
A campus or district administrator reviews the complaint and makes a determination. 3 If a parent appeals the decision, the district repeats steps 1-3. 4 An administrator makes the final determination upon a second review in EISD. If a parent appeals again in LTISD, the complaint will go to the board of trustees. 5
SOURCES: LAKE TRAVIS ISD, EANES ISD/COMMUNITY IMPACT
The action taken
Going forward
LTISD has focused on promoting kindness as a more effective way to combat bullying, Lyon said. The district has launched activities at elementary campuses, clubs and committees at secondary campuses, assemblies across the district, and a video series for parents. This school year, EISD invited Crime Stoppers of Houston to present to students and parents on bullying and cybersafety awareness, May said. Parents can help protect their children from bullying by having open conversations about mental health and monitoring their social media use, said Shauna Barnes, mental health education manager for the Grant Halliburton Foundation, which provides mental health resources and education. Signs a child is being bullied can include irritabil- ity, changes in sleep or eating habits, and difficulty focusing or completing school work, she said.
David’s law requirements David’s Law was expanded in 2021, requiring districts to provide more bullying prevention measures, including:
LTISD officials plan to use a platform allowing district administrators to better monitor the process of bullying investigations next school year, said Tasha Barker, LTISD assistant superintendent for organizational services. “That’s the piece that is kind of lacking now … that we can improve on,” Barker said. While the number of bullying report forms filed since 2019 were available from LTISD, the district didn’t begin tracking the total number of bullying incidents until this school year, said Stephanie Clinton, public information request specialist. EISD did not respond to requests for bullying data. To combat online bullying, state House Bill 18 goes into effect in September, providing more online protections for minors, Molak said.
Establishing a committee to address bullying through prevention efforts Conducting surveys to measure healthy relationships and positive school culture between students and staff Providing instruction to students on bullying prevention
Developing a policy for reporting bullying, including anonymous reporting
Creating a rubric or checklist to assess bullying incidents and determine response
SOURCE: TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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LAKE TRAVIS - WESTLAKE EDITION
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