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Harassment, Intimidation & Bullying, Include Sexual Harassment for Students

Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying,
including Sexual Harassment

 

If you believe someone is unsafe, being mistreated at school, or creating an unsafe environment for others, the best way to report it is at your school, with your principal.  If you want to keep your identity private, we still want to know about your concern. The more information we have,
the more effectively we are able to respond. 

Remember, you should always call 911 if you have knowledge that a crime was committed. 

The Auburn School District complies with all federal rules and regulations and does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, ethnicity, color, religion, creed, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, homelessness, immigration or citizenship status, disability, neurodivergence, the use of a trained dog guide or service animal, age, and honorably discharged veteran or military status and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following employees have been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination: We have created this Notification Document to help you understand  your rights, and know where to turn if you need support.

Notification Document:  English, Spanish

The following employees have been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination:

Inquiries regarding compliance procedures may be directed to: Civil Rights Compliance Coordinator and Title IX for Staff: Jon Young, jyoung@auburn.wednet.edu, (253) 931-4932; HIB and Title IX Coordinator Students: Rhonda Larson, rlarson@auburn.wednet.edu, (253) 931-4712; 504 Coordinator, Alex Siwiec, asiwiec@auburn.wednet.edu, (253) 931-4927.

 

What is "Harassment"?

There are three key indicators that help school administrators determine if an incident is considered Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying (HIB) according to Auburn School Board policy 3207.

    1. Repeated - Is the behavior ongoing or taking place over a period of time? 
    2. Intentional -  Is the behavior targeted at an individual or group of students?
    3. Power Imbalance - Does the individual have influence over other students? Are they in a position of influence/leadership?

It is important to note, that an incident is not required to have all of these characteristics in order to constitute a HIB violation. If you are unsure, you should always report anyway and let your school administrator decide.

As examples, the following are scenarios that would violate district policy 3207.

    • Harassment - A student is making racist comments to me in math class, and won’t stop even though I have asked them to. This has been going on for three weeks.
    • Bullying - Someone told all of my friends to stop talking to me and keeps spreading rumors about me. They said that the only way they will stop the rumors is if I send inappropriate pictures of myself to them.
    • Intimidation - Every day at lunch someone steals something from my lunch and says if I tell anyone they are going to beat me up. You are now afraid to attend school.

Sexual harassment means unwelcome conduct or communication of a sexual nature. Sexual harassment can occur adult to student, student to student or can be carried out by a group of students or adults and will be investigated by the District even if the alleged harasser is not a part of the school staff or student body. The district prohibits sexual harassment of students by other students, employees, or third parties involved in school district activities.

Under federal and state law, the term “sexual harassment” may include:

  • Acts of sexual violence;
  • Unwelcome sexual or gender-directed conduct or communication that interferes with an individual’s educational performance or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment;
  • Unwelcome sexual advances;
  • Unwelcome requests for sexual favors;
  • Sexual demands when submission is a stated or implied condition of obtaining an education benefit;
  • Sexual demands where submission or rejection is a factor in an academic or other school-related decision affecting an individual.

ASD policies 3205, 3207, 3210, and 3211 explain these in greater detail.

Please use the links below to access the incident report form. 

The following is a list of resources and sites specifically for parents and families.
 
 
Other useful resource links: