Code of Conduct

Examples of such conduct include, but are not limited to:

• Subjecting other students, school personnel or any other person lawfully on school property or attending a school function to danger by recklessly engaging in conduct which creates a substantial risk of physical injury;
• Stealing or attempting to steal the property of other students, school personnel or any other person lawfully on school property or attending a school function;
• Defamation, which includes making false or unprivileged statements or representations about an individual or identifiable group of individuals that harm the reputation of the person or the identifiable group by demeaning them;
• Discrimination, which includes using race, color, creed, national origin, ethnic group, religion, religious practice, sex, gender (identity and expression), sexual orientation, weight or disability to deny rights, equitable treatment or access to facilities available to others;
• Harassment, is the creation of a hostile environment by conduct or threats, intimidation or abuse;
• Intimidation, which includes engaging in actions or statements that put an individual in fear of bodily harm;
• Hazing, which includes an induction, initiation or membership process involving harassment (see policy 0115 for a more complete definition);
• Sexual Harassment, which includes unwanted and unwelcome behavior of a sexual nature that interferes with a student’s ability to learn, study, achieve, or participate in school activities. It may result from words or behavior of a sexual nature that offend, stigmatize, demean, frighten or threaten a person because of his or her sex. Examples of sexual harassment include, but are not limited to: touching and grabbing body parts, sending sexual notes, writing sexual graffiti, spreading sexual rumors, sexting, being forced to do something sexual, sexual assault, or taking pictures of body parts typically considered private (up-skirting and down blousing);
• Bullying, which includes the intentional targeting by a student/students of an individual (or group) using physical, verbal, written, and/or psychological aggression with the intent to dominate the victim(s). This also includes, but is not limited to cyber bullying/harassment which involves the use of information and communication technologies including, but not limited to, e-mails, telephone and text messaging, instant messaging (IM), internet, defamatory online personal polling websites, and sexting to support deliberate, repeated, and hostile behavior by a student/students, that is intended to harm others;
• Selling, using, distributing or possessing obscene material;
• Using vulgar or abusive language, cursing or swearing;
• Smoking or being in possession of a cigarette or e-cigarette, vapor pen, cigar, pipe, chewing/ smokeless tobacco. As the district has seen an increase in the amount of students caught in possession of these items, the consequences for possession has been changed. The district will track disciplinary infractions related to the use of e-cigarettes over the student’s history in the district, not within a school year.  The first offense will result in a referral to the counselor from Champlain Valley Family Center (CVFC) and 5 days ISS or 3 Days ISS if the parent and student agree to attend an informational session on vaping.  If both parents and students do not attend the session, 2 Days of ISS will be assigned retroactively.  On a student’s second offence students will have 3Days OSS and 3 Days ISS.  The third offence will result in 5 days OSS and 5 days ISS. 
• Possessing, consuming, selling, offering, manufacturing, distributing or exchanging alcoholic beverages or illegal substances, or being under the influence of either. “illegal substances” include, but are not limited to, inhalants, marijuana, cocaine, LSD, PCP, amphetamines, heroin, steroids, look-alike drugs, and any synthetic version thereof, whether specifically illegal or not, commonly referred to as “designer drugs” which are substances designed and synthesized to mimic the intended effects and usages of, which are chemically substantially similar to, illegal drugs, which may or may not be labeled for human consumption;
• Inappropriately possessing, consuming, selling, offering, distributing or exchanging prescription and over-the counter drugs;
• Gambling;
• Indecent exposure, that is, exposure to sight of the private parts of the body in a lewd or indecent manner;
• Initiating a report warning of fire or other catastrophe without valid cause, misuse of 911, or discharging a fire extinguisher.