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Park City School District deans walk through harassment investigation protocol

Park City School District We All Belong Panel.
Kristine Weller
/
KPCW
Park City School District We All Belong Panel.

The Park City School District hosted a panel Tuesday to share how reports of bullying and harassment are handled. The event was in response to a federal investigation.

Federal regulators concluded an investigation into the district in March, finding over 180 incidents of harassment and discrimination in Park City schools. The district then entered into an agreement to resolve the investigation.

Since then, the district has taken steps to remedy the harassment incidents and foster a greater sense of belonging in its schools. During a panel discussion Tuesday, district and school leaders shared how the new reporting and documentation process works.

The district expanded its student services deans program so each school has an administrator dedicated to investigating student behavior issues and ensuring compliance with district, state and federal policies. The deans originally assisted elementary principals with administrative tasks.

The new dean at Trailside Elementary Jessica Jaeger said when a report is submitted, the first step is to stop the bullying or harassment.

“We immediately determine, are there any preventative measures that we need to put in place to make sure that while we're investigating, whatever has been happening stops,” she said. “That could look like a no-contact order, that could look like additional monitoring and supervision during unstructured times like lunch or recess.”

Deans then alert parents about the bullying or harassment allegation and begin an investigation. Reporting students and any witnesses are interviewed first, followed by the alleged bully or harasser.

Parents are then advised about the outcome of the investigation and any resulting consequences. Jaeger said deans will also provide recommended supportive measures, like small group counseling covering conflict resolution skills.

Trailside Elementary Principal Tracy Fike said one of the deans’ most important jobs is documentation of harassment and bullying investigations. Lack of consistent documentation was one issue identified in the federal investigation.

“One of their really important roles is the documentation of that to really ensure that we're following all of the processes we have set in place to do a thorough investigation and really communicate back to all the parties involved,” Fike said.

Jeremy Ranch Elementary Principal Shawn Kuennen said the online reporting form is a great option if students don’t want to speak to a school official in person.

“There's a host of reasons that the children might be too afraid to bring up any sort of bullying or harassment problem with anybody but their parents,” he said.

Online reports are sent directly to deans and other school leaders. A video on how to make an online report can be found here.

The deans work alongside other administrators and the Title IX Internal Compliance office, which handles sex-based harassment.

The district has also implemented initiatives and resources to prevent bullying and harassment. For example, McPolin Elementary Principal Angie Dufner said full-time counselors provide monthly bullying prevention lessons for students.

The district previously launched the “We All Belong” campaign to foster greater bonds between students and the community.

This year local administrators also passed policy changes to set rules for acceptable school behavior and trained staff on how to investigate and resolve incidents. Also new this year is free online mental health resources for students, families and staff.