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Gwinnett County Public Schools

Rule 5: Abuse,Threats, Intimidation, Assault, or Battery by a Student on Another Student or to Any Other Person Not Employed by the School

SECTION A:

A student shall not make oral or written communication, create a document, or make a symbolic gesture or contact of a threatening, distracting, or provoking nature to or about a person/student or in the presence of a person/student. This includes but is not limited to bullying, disrespectful conduct, insult, use of profanity, ethnic, racial, sexual, disability, or religious slur, or harassment and includes the development of a “hit list,” “people to kill,” “people to shoot,” or a statement about bringing a weapon to school and injuring people.

The prohibited behaviors below include, but are not limited to, the following:

Student Infractions and Behavioral Responses

SRO Notification: Rules marked with an “X” require the local school administrator to notify the SRO. If a rule is marked with “XX,” the SRO will notify the District Attorney’s office.

 

Rule 5

 

 

Description of Violation

 

 

Level

 

 

Notify SRO

 

5AA

Oral threat/verbal assault (oral speech that creates, or is intended to create, a fear of physical harm)

II or III

 

 

5AB

Written threat;

II or III

 

 

5AC

Rude and/or disrespectful conduct including but not limited to symbolic gestures or insults;

II or III

 

 

5AD

Bullying (See note below on bullying and state law.);

II or III*

 

 

5AE

Cyberbullying. Bullying (as defined below) through any electronic communication, whether or not such electronic act originated on school property, off school property, with school equipment, or with non-school equipment, that: (1) is directed specifically at student(s); (2) is maliciously intended for the purpose of threatening the safety of those specified or substantially disrupting the orderly operation of the school; and (3) creates a reasonable fear of harm to the student(s)’ person or property or has a high likelihood of succeeding in that purpose;

III, IV or V*

 

5AF

Use of profanity;

I, II or III

 

5AG

Ethnic, racial, sexual, religious or disability slur;

II or III

 

 

5AL

Harassment - Repeated words (verbal or written), conduct, or action that annoys, alarms, or causes distress and serves no legitimate purpose;

II or III

 

 

5AO

Posturing to fight;

 II or III

 

 

5AR

Terroristic threats (threatening to commit any crime of violence, release any hazardous substance, or to burn or damage property with the purpose of terrorizing another, with the purpose of causing the evacuation of a building, with the purpose of causing serious public inconvenience, or in reckless disregard of the risk of causing terror, the evacuation of a building, or serious public inconvenience)

IV or V

X

5AZ

Other (list)

I, II or III

 

* State law defines "bullying" as: 1) any willful attempt or threat to inflict injury on another person, when accompanied by an apparent present ability to do so; 2) any intentional display of force such as would give the victim reason to fear or expect immediate bodily injury or harm; or 3) any intentional written, verbal, or physical act, which a reasonable person would perceive as being intended to threaten, harass, or intimidate that: a) causes substantial physical harm or visible harm; b) substantially interferes with a student's education; c) is so severe, persistent or pervasive that it creates an intimidating/threatening educational environment; or d) substantially disrupts the orderly operation of the school. Upon finding that a student in grades 6-12 has committed the offense of bullying for the third time in a school year, such student shall be assigned to an alternative school. (O.C.G.A. 20-2-751.4) Retaliation for reports of bullying will not be tolerated and will be subject to independent disciplinary action.

 

SECTION B:

A student shall not cause or attempt to cause physical injury or behave in such a way as could reasonably cause bodily injury to any student/person. A student shall not engage in any behavior that threatens the safety or well-being of another person or has the likelihood of provoking a fight.

The prohibited behaviors below include, but are not limited to, the following:

 

Rule 5

 

 

Description of Violation

 

 

Level

 

 

Notify SRO

 

5BA

Pushing and shoving;

I, II or III

 

5BB

Fighting;

III, IV or V

 

5BC

Battery (when one individual physically attacks or beats up on another individual.);

IV or V

 

5BE

Behavior that caused physical injury to another student;

III, IV or V

 

5BF

Physical contact of a threatening or provoking nature to another student;

III

 

 

5BG

Aggravated battery (maliciously causing bodily harm to another by depriving them of a member of their body, or by rendering a member of their body useless, or by seriously disfiguring their body or a member thereof); [Rule may only be charged with consultation of Office of Student Discipline]

 

V

XX

5BH

Homicide/murder;

[Rule may only be charged with consultation of Office of Student Discipline]

 

V

XX

5BI

Kidnapping (seizure, transportation, and/or detention of a person against h their will);

[Rule may only be charged with consultation of Office of Student Discipline]

 

V

XX

5BK

Hazing (as a condition or precondition of gaining acceptance, membership, office, or other status in any school or school organization, subjecting a student to an activity which endangers or is likely to endanger the physical health or emotional wellbeing of a student, regardless of a student's willingness to participate in such activity)

 

III, IV or V

 

5BM

Voluntary manslaughter (O.C.G.A. § 16-5-2);

[Rule may only be charged with consultation of Office of Student Discipline]

 

V

XX

5BZ

Other: (list)

I, II or III