Kentucky School Discipline Laws & Regulations: Bullying, Harassment, or Hazing

Discipline Compendium

Kentucky School Discipline Laws & Regulations: Bullying, Harassment, or Hazing

Category: Discipline Addressing Specific Code of Conduct Violations
Subcategory: Bullying, Harassment, or Hazing
State: Kentucky

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LAWS

KRS 2.227. Anti-Bullying Month.

(1) The General Assembly recognizes its responsibility to secure the environment for all Kentucky students. Thus, October of each year shall be designated as Anti-Bullying Month in the Commonwealth.

(2) As a symbol of awareness of the serious issues and negative effects of bullying, the official ribbon for the Anti-Bullying Month in the Commonwealth shall be purple and yellow. The color purple is a reminder of domestic violence and the color yellow is in memory of those who have taken their lives as a result of bullying.

KRS 158.148. Definition of "bullying"- Discipline guidelines and model policy–Local code of acceptable behavior and discipline–Required contents of code.

(1)(a) As used in this section, "bullying" means any unwanted verbal, physical, or social behavior among students that involves a real or perceived power imbalance and is repeated or has the potential to be repeated:

1. That occurs on school premises, on school-sponsored transportation, or at a school-sponsored event; or

2. That disrupts the education process. [...]

(5)(c) The code shall prohibit bullying.

(e) The code shall contain:

1. Procedures for identifying, documenting, and reporting incidents of bullying, incidents of violations of the code, and incidents for which reporting is required under KRS 158.156;

2. Procedures for investigating and responding to a complaint or a report of bullying or a violation of the code, or of an incident for which reporting is required under KRS 158.156, including reporting incidents to the parents, legal guardians, or other persons exercising custodial control or supervision of the students involved;

3. A strategy or method of protecting from retaliation a complainant or person reporting an incident of bullying, a violation of the code, or an incident for which reporting is required under KRS 158.156;

4. A process for informing students, parents, legal guardians, or other persons exercising custodial control or supervision, and school employees of the requirements of the code and the provisions of this section and KRS 158.156, 158.444, 525.070, and 525.080, including training for school employees; and

5. Information regarding the consequences of bullying and violating the code and violations reportable under KRS 158.154, 158.156, or 158.444.

KRS 158.156. Reporting of commission of felony KRS Chapter 508 offense against a student–Investigation–Immunity from liability for reporting–Privileges no bar to reporting.

(4) Neither the husband-wife nor any professional-client/patient privilege, except the attorney-client and clergy-penitent privilege, shall be a ground for refusing to report under this section or for excluding evidence regarding student harassment in any judicial proceedings resulting from a report pursuant to this section. This subsection shall also apply in any criminal proceeding in District or Circuit Court regarding student harassment.

KRS 158.183. Prohibited acts by students–Rights of student–Duties of local board of education–Administrative remedies.

(1) Consistent with the Constitutions of the United States of America and the Commonwealth of Kentucky, a student shall have the right to carry out an activity described in any of paragraphs (a) to (j) of subsection (2) of this section, if the student does not:

(a) Infringe on the rights of the school to:

1. Maintain order and discipline;

2. Prevent disruption of the educational process; and

3. Determine educational curriculum and assignments;

(b) Harass other persons or coerce other persons to participate in the activity; or

(c) Otherwise infringe on the rights of other persons.

KRS 158.441. Definitions for chapter.

As used in this chapter, unless the context requires otherwise:

(6) "School safety" means a program of prevention that protects students and staff from substance abuse, violence, bullying, theft, the sale or use of illegal substances, exposure to weapons and threats on school grounds, and injury from severe weather, fire, and natural disasters.

KRS 525.070. Harassment.

(1) A person is guilty of harassment when, with intent to intimidate, harass, annoy, or alarm another person, he or she:

(a) Strikes, shoves, kicks, or otherwise subjects him to physical contact;

(b) Attempts or threatens to strike, shove, kick, or otherwise subject the person to physical contact;

(c) In a public place, makes an offensively coarse utterance, gesture, or display, or addresses abusive language to any person present;

(d) Follows a person in or about a public place or places;

(e) Engages in a course of conduct or repeatedly commits acts which alarm or seriously annoy such other person and which serve no legitimate purpose; or

(f) Being enrolled as a student in a local school district, and while on school premises, on school-sponsored transportation, or at a school-sponsored event:

1. Damages or commits a theft of the property of another student;

2. Substantially disrupts the operation of the school; or

3. Creates a hostile environment by means of any gestures, written communications, oral statements, or physical acts that a reasonable person under the circumstances should know would cause another student to suffer fear of physical harm, intimidation, humiliation, or embarrassment.

(2)(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this subsection, harassment is a violation.

(b) Harassment, as defined in paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of this section, is a Class B misdemeanor.

KRS 525.080. Harassing communications.

(1) A person is guilty of harassing communications when, with intent to intimidate, harass, annoy, or alarm another person, he or she:

(a) Communicates with a person, anonymously or otherwise, by telephone, telegraph, mail, or any other form of electronic or written communication in a manner which causes annoyance or alarm and serves no purpose of legitimate communication;

(b) Makes a telephone call, whether or not conversation ensues, with no purpose of legitimate communication; or

(c) Communicates, while enrolled as a student in a local school district, with or about another school student, anonymously or otherwise, by telephone, the Internet, telegraph, mail, or any other form of electronic or written communication in a manner which a reasonable person under the circumstances should know would cause the other student to suffer fear of physical harm, intimidation, humiliation, or embarrassment and which serves no purpose of legitimate communication.

(2) Harassing communications is a Class B misdemeanor.

REGULATIONS

No relevant regulations found.

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