(a)School bullying prevention and criminal youth gang detection training program. —
The Department of Justice and the Department of Education, in collaboration with law-enforcement agencies, the Delaware State Education Association, the Delaware School Boards Association, and the Delaware Association of School Administrators, shall identify and maintain a school bullying prevention and criminal youth gang detection training program for school district and charter school employees. The Department of Justice and the Department of Education, in collaboration with law-enforcement agencies, the Delaware State Education Association, the Delaware School Boards Association, and the Delaware Association of School Administrators, must review these trainings every 3 years, at a minimum, and update the trainings as needed to be relevant to Delaware students and conform with best practices.
(b)Prohibition of bullying. —
(1) Each school district and charter school shall prohibit bullying and reprisal, retaliation, or false accusation against a target, witness, or one with reliable information about an act of bullying.
(2) Each school district and charter school shall establish a policy which, at a minimum, includes the following components:
a. A statement prohibiting bullying of any person on school property or at school functions or by use of data or computer software that is accessed through a computer, computer system, computer network, or other electronic technology of a school district or charter school from kindergarten through grade 12. For purposes of this section, “school property” and “school functions” mean as defined in § 4112 of this title.
b. A definition of bullying no less inclusive than that in § 4161 of this title.
c. Direction to develop a school-wide bullying prevention program.
d. A requirement that each school establish a site-based committee that is responsible for coordinating the school’s bully prevention program including the design, approval, and monitoring of the program. A majority of the members of the site-based committee must be members of the school professional staff, of which a majority must be instructional staff. The committee also shall contain representatives of the administrative staff, support staff, student body (for a school enrolling students in grades 7 through 12), parents, and staff from the before- or after-school program or programs. These representatives shall be chosen by members of each respective group, except that the school principal shall appoint the representatives of the nonemployee groups. The committee shall operate on a 1-person, 1-vote principle. If a site-based school discipline committee has been established under § 1605(7)a. and b. of this title, that committee shall vote whether to accept the responsibilities of this paragraph (b)(2)d.
e. A requirement that any school district or charter school employee that has reliable information that would lead a reasonable person to suspect that a person is a target of bullying must immediately report it to the administration.
f. A requirement that each school have a procedure for the administration to promptly investigate in a timely manner and determine whether bullying has occurred, and that such procedure include investigation of such instances, including a determination of whether the target of the bullying was targeted or reports being targeted wholly or in part due to the target’s race, age, marital status, creed, religion, color, sex, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or national origin. This subsection does not preclude schools from identifying other reasons or criteria why a person is a target of bullying.
g. A requirement that, to the extent that funding is available, each school develop a plan for a system of supervision in nonclassroom areas. The plan must provide for the review and exchange of information regarding nonclassroom areas.
h. An identification of an appropriate range of consequences for bullying.
i. A procedure for a student or parent to provide information on bullying activity. However, this paragraph does not permit formal disciplinary action solely based on an anonymous report.
j. A requirement that a parent of any target of bullying or perpetrator of bullying be notified and provided with a form to be generated by the Department of Justice describing the role of the Department of Justice School Ombudsman and providing contact information. This form must also inform a parent of the parent’s right to know when the bullying incident in question has been reported to the Department of Education under paragraph (b)(2)k. of this section.
k. A requirement that all reported incidents of bullying, regardless of whether the school could substantiate the incident, be reported to the Department of Education within 5 working days under Department of Education regulations. The school shall notify a parent of all students involved in the reported incident when the report is made.
l.A statement prohibiting retaliation following a report of bullying.
m. A procedure for communication between school staff members and medical professionals who are involved in treating students for bullying issues.
n. A requirement that the school bullying prevention program be implemented throughout the year, and integrated with the school’s discipline policies and § 4112 of this title.
(c)Dissemination of policy and accountability. —
(1) Each school district and charter school shall adopt the policy consistent with subsection (b) of this section and submit a copy to the Department of Education by January 1 of each year, or by January 1 of a newly approved charter school’s first year of operation. For purposes of this paragraph, “submit” includes providing access to the policy via the school district’s or charter school’s website. Each school district and charter school shall submit a revised policy to the Department of Education within 30 calendar days of a school district’s or charter school’s revision. The Department of Education shall review a policy or a revised policy submitted under this paragraph for compliance with state and federal law.
(2) Each school district and charter school shall include the policy adopted under subsection (b) of this section in the student and staff handbook. If no handbook is available, or if it is not practical to reprint new handbooks, each school district and charter school shall distribute a copy of the policy annually to all students, parents, faculty, and staff. Each school district and charter school shall provide the telephone number of the Department of Justice School Ombudsperson in writing to parents, students, faculty, and staff and provide the telephone number on the school district’s or charter school’s website and the website of each school in the school district. Each school district shall prominently display the telephone number of the Department of Justice School Ombudsperson in each school in the school district. Each charter school shall prominently display the telephone number of the Department of Justice School Ombudsperson in the school.
(3) [Repealed.]
(4) The Department of Education shall prepare an annual report, which must include a summary of all reported and all substantiated incidences of bullying, a summary of the information gathered under paragraph (b)(2)f. of this section, and the results of audits conducted under paragraph (d)(4) of this section. The Department shall post the report required by this subsection on its website.
(d)Duties of the Department of Education. —
(1) The Department of Education shall collaborate with the Department of Justice to identify and maintain a model policy that is applicable to kindergarten through grade 12, and post this policy, along with the contact information for the School Ombudsperson, on their websites in order to assist the school districts and charter schools. In addition, the Department of Education shall promulgate a uniform cyberbullying policy, which shall be based upon a model prepared by the Department of Justice and public comment upon that model. Each school district and charter school shall adopt the Department’s uniform cyberbullying policy within 90 days of the policy becoming final.
(2) Distribution of the Comprehensive School Discipline Improvement Program funds to a school district and charter school provided in the General Appropriations Act starting in fiscal year 2009 and thereafter is contingent upon Department of Education approval of the school district’s or charter school’s bullying prevention policy.
(3) To the extent that funding is available, the Department of Education shall provide for an award system for schools with exemplary programs based on criteria promulgated by the Department.
(4) The Department of Education shall conduct random audits of schools to insure compliance with paragraphs (b)(2)i. and (b)(2)k. of this section. The Department shall report the results of these audits annually in the report required by paragraph (c)(4) of this section.
(e)Immunity. —
A school district or charter school employee, school district or charter school volunteer, or student is individually immune from a cause of action for damages arising from reporting bullying in good faith and to the appropriate person using the procedures specified in the school district’s or charter school’s bullying prevention policy, but there is no such immunity if the act of reporting constituted gross negligence or reckless, wilfull, or intentional conduct.
(f)Other defenses. —
(1) The physical location or time of access of a technology-related incident is not a valid defense in any disciplinary action by the school district or charter school initiated under this section provided there is sufficient school nexus.
(2) This section does not apply to any person who uses data or computer software that is accessed through a computer, computer system, computer network, or other electronic technology when acting within the scope of that person’s lawful employment or investigation of a violation of this section in accordance with school district or charter school policy.
(g)Relationship to reporting requirements. —
An incident may meet the definition of bullying and also the definition of a particular crime under state or federal law. Nothing in this section or in the policies promulgated as a result of this section prevents school officials from fulfilling all of the reporting requirements of § 4112 of this title or from reporting probable crimes that occur on school property or at a school function which are not required to be reported under§ 4112 of this title. Nothing in this section abrogates the reporting requirements for child abuse or sexual abuse set forth in Chapter 9 of Title 16 or any other reporting requirement under state or federal law.
(h) [Repealed.]