Policy Against Bullying and Harassment
South Florida School of Excellence is committed to providing a safe learning environment for all students. To this end, SFSE is dedicated to erase bullying and harassment in its schools by providing awareness, prevention and education in promoting a school atmosphere in which bullying, harassment, and intimidation will NOT be accepted by students, school employees, visitors, or volunteers.
- It is the policy of the SFSE that all of its students and school employees have an educational setting that is safe, secure and free from harassment and bullying of any kind. The district will not accept bullying and harassment. Bullying and Harassment, as defined herein, is prohibited.
- Definitions: Bullying means systematically and chronically, inflicting physical hurt or psychological distress on one or more students or school employees. It is further defined as a pattern of unwanted and repeated written, verbal, or physical behavior, including any threatening, insulting, dehumanizing gesture by an adult or student, that is severe or pervasive enough to create an intimidating, hostile, or offensive educational environment; cause discomfort or humiliation; or unreasonably interfere with the individual’s school performance or participation that includes a noted power differential.
- Bullying may involve, but is not limited to:
- Teasing
- Social exclusion
- Threats
- Intimidation
- Stalking
- Physical violence
- Theft
- Sexual harassment
- Religious, or Racial harassment
- Public humiliation
- Destruction of Property
- Cyberstalking
- Cyberbullying
HARASMENT: means any threatening, insulting or dehumanizing gesture, use of data or computer software, or written, verbal or physical conduct directed against a student or school employee
CYBERSTAKING: is defined in s. 784.048(1)(d), F.S., means to engage in a course of conduct to communicate, or to cause to be communicated, words, images, or language by or through the use of electronic mail or electronic communication, directed at a specific person, causing substantial emotional distress to that person and serving no legitimate purpose.
CYBERBULLING: is defined as the willful and repeated harassment and intimidation of an individual through the use of electronic mail or electronic communication with the intent to coerce, intimidate, harass, or cause substantial emotional distress to a person. Complainant is defined as any District employee, consultant, contractor, agent, visitor, volunteer, student, or other person who formally or informally makes a report of bullying, orally or in writing.
Bullying, Harassment, Cyberbullying, and Discrimination (as referred to and defined herein) encompasses, but is not limited to, unwanted harm towards a student or employee based on or with regard to actual or perceived: sex, race, color, religion, national origin, age, disability (physical, mental, or educational), marital status, socio-economic background, ancestry, ethnicity, gender, gender identity or expression, linguistic preference, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or social/family background. This policy prohibits bullying or harassment of any student by any Board member, employee, consultant, contractor, agent, visitor, volunteer, student, or other person in the school or outside of the school at school-sponsored events, on school buses, and at training facilities or training programs sponsored by the school.