3.21 - Reporting Acts of Violence and Substance Abuse

8/9/2019 3.21 - Reporting Acts of Violence and Substance Abuse

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ADMINISTRATION SECTIONPolicy: 3.21

REPORTING ACTS OF VIOLENCE AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE

I. Acts Reported

A. The following acts shall be reported to the principal (or designee) and tothe Superintendent:

1. assault, orassault and battery, without bodily injury, of any person ona school bus, on school property, or at a school sponsored activity;

2. assault and battery that results in bodily injury, sexual assault; death,shooting, stabbing, cutting or wounding of any person or stalking of

any person as described in VA Code 18.2-60.3, on a school bus, onschool property, or at a school sponsored activity;

3. anyconduct involving alcohol, drugs, controlled substances, imitationcontrolled substances or anabolic steroid on a school bus, on schoolproperty, or at a school sponsored activity, including theft orattempted theft of student prescription medications;

4. anythreats against school personnel while on a school bus, on schoolproperty, or at a school sponsored activity;

5. any illegal carrying of a firearm(as defined in VA Code 22.1-277.07)onto school property;

6. anyillegal conduct involving firebombs, explosive materials ordevices, or hoax explosive devices as defined in VA Codel8.2-85, orexplosive or incendiary devices as defined in VA Code18.2-433.1, orchemical bombs as described in VA Code18.2-87.1, while on a schoolbus, on school property, or at a school-sponsored activity;

7. anythreats or false threats to bomb, as described in VA Code18.2-83, made against school personnel or involving school property or

school buses;

Adopted: 7/22/98 Revised: 7/26/05___________________________________________Falls Church City Public Schools


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8. the arrest of any student for an incident occurring on a school bus, onschool property or at a school sponsored activity, including thecharge therefore; or

9. any illegalpossession of weapons, alcohol, drugs, ortobacco productson a school bus, on school property, or at a school sponsored activity.

The principal of each school shall collect and maintain information on theabove listed acts which occur on school property, on a school bus, or at aschool sponsored activity.

B. The principal and the Division Superintendent shallreceive reports fromlocal law-enforcement authorities on offenses by students enrolled at the

school if (1) the offense, wherever committed, would be a felony ifcommitted by an adult, (2) the offense would be an adult misdemeanorinvolving any incidents described in clauses 1-8, subsection Aor (3) theoffense would be a violation of the Drug Control Act (VA Code Section 54.1-3400 et seq.) and occurred on a school bus, on school property, or at aschool-sponsored activity.

II. Reporting Duties of the Principal

The principal shall report to the Superintendent allincidents required to bereportedin Section I above. The Superintendent will submit an annual

report of all such acts in I. above, to the State Department of Education onforms provided by the Department and shall make such informationavailable to the public.

In submitting reports of such incidents, principals and divisionsuperintendents will accurately indicate any offenses, arrests, or charges asrecorded by law-enforcement authorities and required to be reported bysuch authorities pursuant to subsection I.B. of this policy.

The School Board recognizes that discretion and judgment must beexercised by a principal in determining whether an act may constitute a

criminal offense and must be reported. In exercising this discretion, theBoard expects the principals to respond proportionately to the seriousness



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of the actions being judged; neither to over-react nor under-react to thoseactions; to provide a safe environment for learning, while recognizing theopportunities for individuals to learn correct behavior through the effective

use of the school's disciplinary system and also through the lawenforcement system.

Except as may otherwise be required by federal law, regulation orjurisprudence, the principal shall report immediately to local law-enforcement officials any of these acts enumerated in clauses 2-7 whichmay constitute a criminal offense, and may report to local law enforcementofficials any incident described in clause I of section I.

In addition, except as may be prohibited by federal law, regulation orjurisprudence, the principal will also immediately report any act enumerated

in clauses 2 through 5 of subsection I A. of this policy that may constitute acriminal offense to the parents of any minor student who is the specificobject of such act. Further, the principal will report that the incident hasbeen reported to local law enforcement as required by law and that theparents may contact local law enforcement for further information, if they sodesire.

The principal or his/her designee shall notify the parent of any studentinvolved in an incident required to be reported pursuant to this policy,regardless of whether disciplinary action is taken against such student orthe nature of the disciplinary action. Such notice shall relate to only the

relevant students involvement and shall not include information regardingother students.

The principal who knowingly fails to comply or secure compliance with thereporting requirements of this policy shall be subject to sanctions including,but not limited to demotion or dismissal.

III. Reporting Objectives

The purpose of reporting acts of violence and substance abuse shall be to

develop a program of prevention activities to provide a safe environmentconducive to learning. The Superintendent shall issue regulations andprocedures to implement this Policy.



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If the Superintendent knowingly fails to comply or secure compliance withthe reporting requirements of this policy, he/she shall be subject to the

sanctions authorized in Section 22.1-65 of the Code of Virginia (reasonablefine, suspension from office for a limited period, or removal from office bythe Board of Education or School Board for sufficient cause.)

IV. Prevention Plans and Activities

Whenever any student commits any reportable incident as set forth in thispolicy, such student shall be required to participate in such prevention andintervention activities as deemed appropriate by the Superintendent orhis/her designee.

Prevention and intervention activities shall be identified in the Falls ChurchPublic Schools Division drug and violence prevention plans developedpursuant to the federal Improving America's Schools Act of 1994 (Title IV -"Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act"). Activities designed toprevent the recurrence of violence and crime, including hazing, may includesuch interventions as education relating to Virginia criminal law,schoolcrime lines, peer mediation, conflict resolution, community servicerequirements, and any program focused on demonstrating theconsequences of violence and crime.The School Board may develop anduse a network of volunteer services implementing prevention activities.

Legal References: Code of Virginia, 1950, as amended, Sections 8.01-47, 22.1-279.3:1,Regulations Governing Reporting of Acts of Violence and

Substance Abuse in Schools, Virginia Board of Education,8VAC20-560-10


3.21 - Reporting Acts of Violence and Substance Abuse

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