The school will strive to end inappropriate behavior by providing supportive measures and educating staff, students, and community members. This includes when conduct does not rise to the level of statutory or policy definitions or it is determined that discipline is not warranted. The goal of this policy is to not only acknowledge that Bias Incidents and hate speech occur within our school, but also to work to educate all students and staff about this fact and to move forward to create a plan of action to address it in order to create a school environment that is healthy and safe for all of our students and staff. Management of Student Identity in School Documents and Records School personnel should not disclose any information that may reveal a student’s transgender identity except as allowed under FERPA. Under FERPA, only those school employees determined to have legitimate educational interests may have access to a student’s records or information contained within those records. However, student records may be released with the written permission of the student’s parent/legal guardian using the Authorization for Release of School Records Form. These rights transfer to the student when the student reaches the age of 18 or attends a school beyond the high school level. Transgender students have the ability, as do all students, to discuss and express their gender identity and expression and decide when, with whom, and how much of their private information to share with others. The school will work closely with the student and parents in customizing an appropriate plan regarding the confidentiality of the student’s transgender identity that supports the student. That may include the option to inform and educate the student’s peers, or to not share the information with the student’s peers. When a transgender student new to a school is using a preferred name, school staff will their best efforts to keep the birth name confidential. The School administration will periodically review student information systems and attempt to ensure that all printed and digital materials generated for classroom and instructor use show the student’s chosen name and not their legal name. The Oregon Department of Education will change a student’s gender within the Secure Student Identification System upon request from a district. ODE will allow the request from the district to serve as a “documentation to support the change” that is generally required by ODE for changes to the SSID. If a student desires to seek such a change with ODE, the school will attempt to facilitate the change. Sexual Harassment Policy The Board is committed to the prevention and elimination of sexual harassment. This policy applies to students, staff, parents/legal guardians, volunteers and other third parties participating in school-related activities who may be subjected to sexual harassment in a virtual setting via e-mail, phone, and other forms of communication, as well as at in person at school-sponsored events such as field trips, state testing, graduation events, etc.
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