Alcohol - Drugs - Tobacco

When a student is found to be under the influence or in possession of alcohol and/or other drugs, or there are reasonable grounds to suspect that a student is under the influence, the division director should be notified. At minimum, consequences for a first offense will include a conference with appropriate parties, a chemical use assessment, counseling arranged by the school psychologist, Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) penalties, and a two-day suspension. A second violation will result in permanent expulsion from MPA and additional MSHSL penalties. If a student is involved in the transfer of alcohol or other drugs at school or at a school sponsored activity, the student will be permanently expelled from MPA. The transfer will be reported to the police. If a student is dishonest about having possessed, used, or come to school under the influence of drugs, the student will face immediate expulsion. 

Bullying Prohibition Policy  

Purpose 

Mounds Park Academy strives to provide a safe, secure, and respectful learning and working environment for all students and adults while at school or at school-sponsored activities. Bullying interferes with this goal and affects a student’s ability to learn and a teacher’s ability to educate. This policy protects students against bullying and retaliation, and protects any student who voluntarily participates in any school function or activity from prohibited conduct, whether the student is enrolled in the school or not. 

Definitions 

Bullying is determined by the administration (Head of School and division directors), not the intentions of the one who has been accused, whether the act is verbal, written, physical, sexual, psychological, or cyber.  

Bullying: objectively offensive intimidating, threatening, abusive, or harmful conduct directed by a student or adult toward one or more students or adults when either (1) there is a real or perceived imbalance of power between those involved and the conduct reoccurs or forms a pattern; or, (2) the conduct materially and substantially interferes with the student’s or adult’s educational opportunities, performance, or ability to participate in school functions, activities, or programs.  

Bullying can be, but need not be, based on an individual’s actual or perceived race, ethnicity, color, creed, religion, national origin, immigration status, sex, marital status, gender identity and expression, familial status, socioeconomic status, physical appearance, sexual orientation, academic status related to student performance, disability, status with regard to public assistance, age, or any additional characteristic defined in Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 363A (commonly referred to as the Minnesota Human Rights Act). Bullying in this policy includes abusive relationships, cyberbullying, and hazing as defined below.  

“Intimidating, threatening, abusive, or harmful conduct” may involve, but is not limited to, conduct that causes physical harm or reasonable fear of harm to a student or a student's property, violates a student's reasonable expectation of privacy under Minnesota common law, defames a student, or constitutes intentional infliction of emotional distress against a student. Behaviors include but are not limited to cruelty, taunting, name calling, put-downs, intimidation, slander, and posting of threats of any kind toward another person or group, whether it occurs in or outside of school. This form of bullying includes, but is not limited to denigration, impersonation, outing and trickery, posting inappropriate images of self and others, and/or cyberstalking.  

Abusive Relationships: any relationship involving any type of harassment by an individual or group toward another individual or group, regardless of whether requests to cease such contact have been made. This includes contact that occurs both in and outside of school. MPA reserves the right to interview students, involve students in a counseling process, contact parents, and require students to participate in a contractual process which may include, but is not limited to, on-going participation in groups, no contact contract, and one-to-one counseling. If deemed necessary or required, appropriate legal authorities may be contacted. School administration also reserves the right to refuse attendance to students not abiding by these provisions.  

Cyberbullying: bullying that occurs when an electronic device—including, but not limited to a computer or cell phone—is used to transfer a sign, signal, writing, image, sound, or data. This transfer of information can include a post to a social network, Internet website, group, or individual.  

Hazing : any activity undertaken by a student or group of students towards another student or group of students with the sole purpose of “initiation” into MPA, a student organization, or a team. This includes, but is not limited to, any physical, sexual, verbal, or psychological abuse that is demeaning, harmful, or embarrassing to anyone as a “rite of passage.”  

Sexual Harassment: physical, psychological, or any behavior that offends, shames, taunts, hurts, threatens, intimidates, dismisses, and ultimately violates the gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation of another person. This form of harassment includes, but is not limited to, unwanted sexual advances, sexual gestures, sexual jokes, sexual comments, sexual symbols, inappropriate questioning, unwanted and unwelcome touching, inappropriate remarks about one’s clothing, body type, gender, orientation, or sexual activity, displaying pornography, and/or promoting rumors of a sexual nature. Please see the full sexual harassment policy.   

Prohibited Conduct

Bullying is prohibited:  

• On school property, school-provided transportation, or at designated locations for students to wait for school-provided transportation.  
• During any school-sponsored or school-sanctioned program, activity, event, or trip. 
• Using school computers, electronic technology, networks, forums, or mailing lists.  
• Using any electronic technology (school-owned or otherwise) off the school premises that materially and substantially disrupts a student’s learning or school environment.  

Apparent permission or consent by a student does not mean that bullying should be tolerated or allowed.  

Retaliation is prohibited by any student or school employee against anyone who in good faith asserts, alleges, reports, or provides information pertaining to an alleged incident of prohibited conduct. The school will take appropriate action against any student or school employee who engages in retaliation. Filing a false accusation of bullying is also prohibited.  

Reporting and Response

An initial report may be verbal or written and is intended to be non-threatening for the one reporting the incident(s). Division directors are responsible for receiving reports of bullying and serve as the primary individuals to address policy and procedural matters and will ensure this policy and its procedures are fairly and fully implemented. If the complaint involves a director, the complaint shall be made to the Head of School.  

Students who believe that they have been bullied or have witnessed bullying are strongly encouraged to bring their concerns to a division director, but may bring their concerns to any school employee. Having proof is an important part of reporting bullying; therefore, whenever possible, individuals should save emails, text messages, voice mail messages, and other documentation. As difficult as it can be to tell another person, reporting the experience is the first step toward reestablishing a safe and respectful environment for that person and the school. Thus, if a student has received some form of bullying, (inclusive of the forms cited above, but not limited to), or has knowledge of anyone (student, faculty, staff, visitor, volunteer, or group) involved in a form of harassment, the student is encouraged to report it.  

Any employee who witnesses an incident or who possesses reliable information that would lead a reasonable person to believe that bullying has occurred shall:  

• Immediately intervene to protect the safety of the student subjected to the incident and other students involved, as appropriate to the context.  
• Make reasonable efforts to address and resolve the incident, including reporting the incident to the appropriate division director, as deemed appropriate.  
• Cooperate fully in any investigation and resolution of the bullying incident.  

Any independent contractor or volunteer who witnesses bullying or who possesses reliable information that would lead a reasonable person to believe that bullying has occurred is strongly encouraged to report the bullying incident to the appropriate division director or any school employee and cooperate fully in any investigation and resolution of the bullying incident.  

Anonymous reports will be accepted and investigated by division directors. However, no disciplinary action will be determined solely on the basis of an anonymous report unless it is proven through the investigation. 

Investigation Procedure

Investigation of an alleged bullying incident shall be initiated as soon as possible, but in no instance after more than three school days of receipt of a report, and completed in a timely manner. Investigative records shall be maintained and regulated by division directors.  

The investigation should determine whether the reported incident constitutes a case of bullying. The determination should take into consideration the totality of the facts and circumstances surrounding the incident, including, but not limited to:  

• The developmental ages and maturity levels of the parties involved.  
• The level of harm, surrounding circumstances, and nature of the behavior.  
• Past incidences or past or continuing patterns of behavior.  
• The relationship between the parties involved.  
• The context in which the alleged incidents occurred.  

The school administration will notify the parents/guardians of the student(s) involved and will investigate in a confidential manner to the extent possible.  

Consequences / Response

MPA responds to bullying in a manner tailored to the individual incident, considering the nature of the behavior, the developmental age of the student, and the student’s history of prohibited conduct and performance. The range of discipline will be determined by administration and may include, but is not limited to, detention, parent conference, suspension, loss of co-curricular/athletic eligibility, loss of ability to participate on a school trip, service to the school, and/or expulsion. In addition, the division director will work to design and implement remedial measures to correct and prevent further prohibited conduct, protect and provide support for the target of the bullying, and take corrective action for any documented systemic problems related to bullying. 

Last Updated: August 26, 2019