Sexual Harassment
What Parents Should Know About
Dealing with Sexual Harassment at our School Chimacum High School is committed to the emotional and physical security of all its students. School district policy prohibits behavior that interferes with a person’s working or learning. Parents can help their student and the school by being aware of what they can do to address problems and incidents that are severe, chronic or sexually offensive.
In particular, Chimacum High School supports the Title IX Compliance Program. The Title IX Compliance Program is in place to require students and staff to comply with the laws prohibiting sexual harassment in the workplace or in the learning environment. The Title IX Compliance Program is designed to address the possible discrimination of its students and staff by others when the discrimination is based on gender, or is sexual in nature.
A behavior doesn’t need to be “sexual harassment” to be of a concern to the school. Parents should voice their concern whenever their child is the target of severe, chronic, or sexual misconduct. Generally, if a behavior is unfair, unwanted and interferes with a student’s learning, the school will want to take action to prevent further misconduct.
What is the Title IX Compliance Program?
This program is required by law in school districts to train, prevent and intervene with matters that are based on a person’s gender or are sexual in nature. It will also:
· train students and staff how to recognize and deal with misconduct at school
· inform parents of the school’s Title IX Compliance Program
· involve parents, staff and students in policy development and advisement
· intervene and investigate matters when circumstances warrant an in-depth examination of student, staff or parent complaints of misconduct
How does the school handle misconduct by students?
It depends on the behavior. Most misconduct is handled by the teachers, the school counselor and the principal. If the misconduct is because of a person’s gender or is sexual in nature, the behavior should also be reported to Mr.Raymond,
the Title IX Officer for the district.
What should students do if they are the target of repeated offensive behavior?
They should:
· ask the person(s) to stop. Be direct and don’t apologize.
If the behavior continues, they should:
· report the behavior to a teacher, counselor or school administrator as soon as possible.
· tell their parent about the problem and tell them they have told a school staff member.
· if at any time, the student or parent feels that a problem or concern is not being addressed properly, they should contact Mr. Raymond, the Title IX Officer at the Chimacum School District Office (385-3922).
What can parents do?
A good way for parents to prevent harassment problems at school is to educate their student on appropriate ways of dealing with their peers and the school staff. We have enclosed a pamphlet entitled “Recognizing and Stopping Sexual Harassment” and we encourage you to go over this information with your student. Explain to them that it is not their intent that is important, but rather the impact of their behavior on another student that matters. What seems like innocent fun or harmless teasing to one student might be devastating and harmful to another student. Our goal is to work with you in modeling and teaching kindness and compassion towards others. We believe that the result will be a happy, positive and safe school climate.
If your student tells you that he/she has been harassed, we encourage you to get involved. A good way to start is to listen to your student, be supportive and understanding, and be ready to work with the school to ensure their emotional and
physical safety. You can also voice your opinion about that you think would be an appropriate solution. The impact of misconduct on each person is different, and understanding the parent’s point of view is important. Often matters of misconduct require a calm and patient approach.
Once you have reported the information to us, we will address your concern promptly. Not all information will be available since the confidentiality of staff and students is important, but you are entitled to a report of the outcome.
If you would like to know more…
For more information, or questions regarding Chimacum High School’s policy on sexual harassment, please contact Mike Raymond (385-3922), the high school administrators and/or the counselors.
