Bullying, intimidation, and harassment are prohibited on the basis of actual or perceived:  race; color; nationality; sex; sexual orientation; gender identity; gender-related identity or expression; ancestry; age; religion; physical or mental disability; order of protection status; status of being homeless; actual or potential marital or parental status, including pregnancy; association with a person or group with one or more of the aforementioned actual or perceived characteristics; or any other distinguishing characteristic.

The District will not tolerate harassing, intimidating conduct, or bullying whether verbal, physical, or visual, or any behavior that creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment.

Examples of prohibited conduct include name-calling, using derogatory slurs, stalking, causing psychological harm, threatening or causing physical harm, threatened or actual destruction of property, or wearing or possessing items depicting or implying hatred or prejudice of one of the characteristics stated above, this includes cyber-bullying through the use of technology or electronic communication.

Claims or incidences of bullying, harassment, or intimidation during any educational program should be reported to the Education Director or to the Director of Operations if incident occurs during a public event or in the workplace. Complaints will be kept confidential to the extent possible given the need to investigate.

Any program participant who is determined, after an investigation, to have engaged in conduct prohibited by this policy may be subject to disciplinary action, including but not limited to, suspension and expulsion from educational and/or other program(s) or District facilities. Any employee who is determined, after an investigation, to have engaged in conduct prohibited by this policy will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including discharge.

Any person making a knowingly false accusation regarding prohibited conduct will likewise be subject to disciplinary action up to and including discharge, with regard to employees, or suspension and expulsion, with regard to program participants.