Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Legislature requires schools to adopt anti-bully policy

Everyone at some point or another in their life, has been around or been harassed by a bully.

School is the number one place for bullies to pick their prey and depending on the person being picked on and school rules, the person may eventually stop.

However, the Arkansas Legislature decided in its 2003 regular session, to adopt a bill to require school districts to adopt anti-bullying policies and to require the policies to be filed with the Department of Education.

It is left up to the school board to adopt a policy to prevent pupil harassment.

The policies are required to clearly define what bullying really is; prohibit bullying on school property, school sponsored activities, and on school busses; they must state the consequences for engaging in the prohibited conduct, which may vary depending on the age and the grade of the student involved; and require a school employee who has witnessed, or has reliable information that, a pupil has been a victim of bullying, as defined by the district; and that notices of the policy must be in plain view in such places as classrooms, cafeterias, restrooms, gymnasiums and auditoriums and school buses.

The district must also be able to give copies of the policy out at any time upon request.

Also, any school employee who has reported violations under the school district's policy shall be immune from any tort liability which may arise from the failure to remedy the reported incident.

The local school board may also provide opportunities for school employees to participate in programs other than activities designed to develop the knowledge and skills to prevent and respond to acts covered by such policy.

The school district will file with the Department of Education once a policy is excepted.

However, according to Gurdon High School Principal Leonard Gills, this year's student handbooks already have Gurdon's bullying policy in them and it is being fully enforced.