Bullying
Anti-Bullying and Harassment
Protecting Our Students
Waxahachie ISD strictly prohibits bullying and harassment. No student should be subjected to any form of bullying or harassment that disrupts their learning experience. Additionally, no student should face any safety issues arising from such misconduct. Ensuring school safety is a top priority, and WISD addresses complaints of bullying with utmost seriousness. For further details, refer to the WISD Student Welfare Board Policy.
In This Section
Policies and Procedures
Help My Child
The WISD Student Code of Conduct provides a detailed legal definition of bullying.
“Bullying occurs when a student or group of students who are on school property, at a school-sponsored or school-related activity, or in a vehicle operated by the District engages in written or oral expression, expression through electronic means, or physical conduct that:
- Exploits an imbalance of power between the student perpetrator and the student victim through written or oral expression or physical conduct and interferes with a student’s education or substantially disrupts the operation of a school; and
- Such conduct:
- Has the effect or reasonably will have the effect of physically harming a student, damaging a student's property, or placing a person in reasonable fear of harm to the student's person or of damage to the student's property; or
- Is sufficiently severe, persistent, and pervasive enough that the action or threat creates an intimidating, threatening, or abusive educational environment for a student."
All employees of WISD have received comprehensive training on the definition of bullying and the associated reporting procedures. Additionally, all WISD administrators have been trained in investigating reports to assess whether the incidents fall under harassment, bullying, or other levels of student misconduct as defined by legal standards and the Student Code of Conduct. A significant focus of the training includes communication strategies with parents.
Reporting
Students and parents are encouraged to report suspected bullying behaviors using the following methods:
- Communicate with any WISD staff member.
- Submit a verbal or written report.
- Complete and submit the WISD Safety Alert Form.
- Report suspicious behavior or activity via tip411, the anonymous reporting system.
What does the law say?
In 2011, the Texas Legislature enacted new laws pertaining to bullying in Texas schools. The updated anti-bullying provisions are detailed in Section 37.0832(a) of the Texas Education Code.
These laws introduce eight mandatory elements that the Board of Trustees has adopted regarding bullying. These elements encompass policies and procedures that:
- Prohibit the bullying of any student;
- Prohibit retaliation against any individual, including victims, witnesses, or any other person, who provides information about a bullying incident in good faith;
- Establish a procedure for notifying the parents or guardians of the victim and the bully within a reasonable time frame following a bullying incident;
- Outline the actions a student should take to seek assistance and intervention if they experience bullying;
- Provide available counseling options for students who are victims, witnesses, or who engage in bullying;
- Establish procedures for reporting, investigating, and determining the occurrence of a reported bullying incident;
- Prohibit disciplinary measures against a student, who after an investigation is found to be a victim of bullying, for using reasonable self-defense in response to the bullying;
- Ensure that disciplinary actions for bullying a student with disabilities comply with federal laws, including the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. Section 1400 et seq.).
Additionally, the new laws mandate that the District must include these policies and procedures in the student and employee handbooks, the District Improvement Plan, and on the District’s website.
