New Haven Independent

The question of what constitutes a “bullying” incident and how to deal with it has been controversial among some New Haven Public School families. Members of Teach Our Children (TOC) have blasted the bullying policy at BOE meetings and urged officials to revisit it.

However, at the modestly attended meeting earlier in the week, no one rose in support or opposition to the revised language. TOC was not present. There was barely a word of discussion among BOE members.

The main revision is a more focused defiition of the term “bullying” and more detailed follow-through procedures after an incident is confirmed.

The revised language amounts to a state-mandated clarification and tightening, said BOE Chief Operating Officer Will Clark (pictured in the middle with Superintendent Dr. Reginald Mayo and BOE member Dr. Ann Levett).

TOC organizer Camelle Scott, reached after the meeting, said that her group was in Washington D.C. and unable to attend the meeting. She was reviewing the bullying document with parents in her group, she said. At press time, TOC was not yet ready to comment.

The chief change appears to be the definition of bullying and specifically how many actions constitute the deed.

The language of the revised policy, which BOE member Ann Levett, read aloud, goes as follows: “Bullying is defined as overt acts by one or more students intended to ridicule, humiliate, or intimidate, that are committed more than once against any student(s) during the school year.”

Clark suggested that the previous language was not “more than once” but “repeated,” leaving open the possibility that a kid could be pushed and pushed and bothered without being officially bullied. Now, you do it twice, and you’re a bully.

Clark also called attention to the importance of the second sentence of definition that follows: “Bullying involves an imbalance of power or the perception of physical, social and/or psychological power over the target.”

So bullying, he said, is not limited to acts based on gender, race, sexual orientation, physical characteristics, and so forth (which are also spelled out in the definition).

“The key thing here,” said Clark, “is responding to any ‘imbalance of power.’”

The revision was the BOE’s response to a directive from the state to all districts to make such clarifications. Clark was at pains to point out that the BOE had never been out of compliance with the law.

The rewrite was the product of a committee that included Clark and Teddi Berra, the transportation coordinator, Hillhouse Principal Lonnie Garris, teachers, and parents. It was chaired by Val Hudson Brown (shown in the middle of the photo), the school’s Title IX coordinator and one of Superintendent Reginald Mayo’s administrative assistants.

TOC had called for a more coherent, system-wide policy on bullying as well as suspension (a common result or punishment). The committee did not include a TOC representative. Clark said the group was shown the document to comment on.

After a year or more of contention, TOC and Mayo have developed a working relationship with a scheduled a regular monthly meeting. One of the results is a revised policy on the provision of homework for suspended students. That policy is now posted on the BOE website

Camelle Scott said her group attended one of the working meetings of the bullying committee, but had seen the document only on Saturday; the BOE rolled out the revision at Monday’s meeting.

The policy outlines strategies following a verified incident, including conferences with aggressor and target, possible referral for anger management for the confirmed aggressor, and possible suspension based on the severity of the bullying.

Among TOC’s concerns, Scott reported in an email message Wednesday, “is that after an incident, the school go through the various steps before suspension, if that is deemed the punishment, and not just jump to that.”

Monica Maldonado, a volunteer, parent, and PTO leader at Columbus Family Academy, said that a number of the committee’s bullying prevention strategies and post-incident investigation suggestions were indeed new and recommended systemwide.

These include the establishment of a district bullying prevention committee that would monitor all bullying incidents; the requirement that principals present the bullying definition and policy at school orientations, parent group meetings, and other venues at minimum twice a year; and staff training in spotting and responding to incidents.

Maldonado said that the internal bullying reports at each school should be sent to the district coordinator within 12 hours; and that another post-investigation form be sent within five days of reporting. “This,” she said, “follows more closely a DSS [state Department of Social Services] model.”

TOC members have said that parents might not have been notified of bullying incidents involving their children, both as target or perpetrator, in a timely enough fashion, and then were surprised and alarmed with a suspension.