File:  ACAD

HAZING

 

            Maine statute defines injurious hazing as "any action or situation, including harassing behavior, that recklessly or intentionally endangers the mental or physical health of any school personnel or a student enrolled in a public school."

 

            It is the policy of the board that injurious hazing activities of any type, either on or off school property, by any student, staff member, group or organization affiliated with this school unit, are inconsistent with the educational process and shall be prohibited at all times.

 

            “Harassing behavior” includes acts of intimidation and any other conduct that recklessly or intentionally endangers the mental or physical health of a student or staff member.  The behavior may be physical (e.g., hitting), verbal (e.g., threats), or psychological e.g., intimidation).

 

            “Act of intimidation” include extortion; menacing; direct or indirect threats of violence; incidents of violence; bullying; statements or taunting of a malicious and/or derogatory nature that recklessly or intentionally endanger the mental or physical health of another person; and property damage or theft.

 

            No administrator, faculty member, or other employee of the school unit shall encourage, permit, condone, or tolerate injurious hazing activities.  No student, including leaders of students organizations, shall plan, encourage, or engage in injurious hazing activities.

 

            Persons not associated with this school unit who fail to abide by this policy may be subject to ejection from school property and/or other measures as may be available under the law.

 

            Administrators, faculty members, students, and all other employees who fail to abide by this policy may be subject to disciplinary action which may include suspension, expulsion, or other appropriate measures.

 

            In the case of an organization affiliated with this school unit which authorizes hazing, penalties may include rescission of permission for that organization to operate on school property or to receive any other benefit of affiliation with the school unit.

 

            These penalties shall be in addition to any civil or criminal penalties to which the violator or organization may be subject.

 

            The superintendent shall assume responsibility for administering this policy.  In the event that an individual or organization disagrees with an action__or lack of action__on the part of the superintendent as he/she carries out the provisions of this policy, that individual or organization may appeal to the full Board of Directors.  The ruling of the Board of Directors, with respect to the provisions of this policy, shall be final.

 

            This right to appeal does not apply to student suspensions of 10 days or less or to matters submitted to grievance procedures under applicable collective bargaining agreements.