District Revises Harassment Policy Educators Propose User-Friendly Plan To Encourage Victims To Come Forward

Spokane educators hope children who are harassed at school will have an easier time getting help under a major policy revision.

The proposal lists types of harassment - from derogatory comments to jokes to unwelcome sexual advances - along with easy-to-follow steps for filing a complaint.

“It’s user-friendly,” said Ivan Bush, Spokane School District 81’s equal opportunity officer.

“If harassment happens, we’re encouraging folks to come forth and let us know about it. It reinforces the notion that this district takes harassment seriously.”

Board members heard the proposal for the first time Wednesday and will decide whether to approve it later.

A new section says the board “will not tolerate” harassment or discrimination in the district, whether it involves teachers or students.

It also forbids retaliation against anyone who reports harassment.

In the last six months, students in Spokane public schools reported 188 instances of harassment or discrimination.

Educators suspect many more incidents are kept quiet because students are embarrassed or don’t know how to get help.

Under the proposal, at least one administrator at each school would be identified as a first stop for those kids.

“If that presence is in the building … it adds an enforcement hammer, that someone is looking over our shoulders who’s really interested,” said Dominic Zamora, who chairs the district’s affirmative action council.

Notices would also be posted to remind students how to report harassment.

“It’s very difficult for anyone to bring forward a complaint of harassment,” said O.J. Cotes, staff support coordinator. “People still have that sense of squealing. There’s such a code with kids, if you go forward and tattle.”

People who are harassed would be able to choose from formal and informal ways of handling the problem. Informal methods include steps as simple as giving a copy of a harassment policy to the offender.

Disciplinary measures are also listed in the proposal, although it’s unclear when each action would be used.

Suggestions include counseling, transfer, letters of apology and loss of privileges.

Judy Shier, who helped draft the policy, said the best part is the section that describes “derogatory comments” as harassment.

Many kids are teased relentlessly about physical differences and have no idea they can get help from school officials, said Shier, who heads the district’s Instructional Equity Citizens Advisory Committee.

“Kids who are obese, kids who have big ears … the parents of those kids can now look at it and say, ‘Oh, this really isn’t OK, and we do have a recourse,”’ Shier said.

If the revised policy is approved, training for administrators would begin in August. New teachers would be trained as they’re hired, and plans are under way for training the current staff.

, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: Complaints Spokane School District 81 students made 188 complaints of harassment or discrimination involving other students from January to June 1997. They included: 73 complaints based on sex. 59 based on race. 26 based on sexual orientation. 12 based on disability. 9 based on skin color. 7 based on national origin. 2 based on religion. Most cases were resolved with warnings or counseling. Thirty-five students were suspended from school, and two were expelled.