Major Offenses

Detentions are set so that they do not prove punitive to school team activities or obstruct extra academic help. Detentions may be postponed to the next week for: • A previously planned family trip, • A religious retreat or • A school function. This postponement may be granted only if a written explanation is submitted to the dean of students before 12:00 p.m. (noon) on the Thursday prior to the detention.

Major Offenses

• Lying, cheating, and stealing. These offenses attack the very foundation of the school’s Honor Code (see Honor Code and Honor Council). • Plagiarism Policy (See Plagiarism Policy). • Violation of the school’s Drug and Alcohol Policy. • Assault, including threats of bodily harm and/or sexual assault, of teachers, administrators, other school personnel, other students, or persons attending school-related functions. • Threats (even when made in jest). • Disrespectful conduct towards teachers, administrators, other school personnel, other students, or persons attending school–related functions. • Electronic disrespect. Any disrespectful words, pictures, or images in electronic or written form (including the internet, text messages, chat rooms, blogs, social networking, sexting, or similar forums for public exchange) that the school administration considers disrespectful to the school, its teachers, its administrators, parents, and other students. • Gambling at Whitefield Academy or at school-sponsored events. • Sexual harassment or sexual misconduct • Racist comments or behavior • Damaging or defacing personal property or school property (vandalism). • Defiance, disorderly conduct, disobeying school rules, regulations, or directives; disobeying directives given by teachers, administrators, or other school staff. • Unexcused absenteeism/truancy (“skipping class”) • Vandalism • Inappropriate language (minor or major) • Fighting, pushing, hitting, tripping, physical horseplay, or roughhousing of any kind are prohibited and may lead to disciplinary consequences for all of the individuals. • Bullying • The possession, viewing, or distribution of pornography in either electronic or hard copy form. The school reserves the right to determine what material is pornographic.

A student who commits a major offense will be referred immediately to the dean for disciplinary action. The Principal and/or a designee will impose consequences based upon the circumstances of the situation, which may include, but are not limited to, any combination of the following: detention, in-school detention, out-of-school suspension, school or community service, loss or restriction of privileges, behavioral probation, exclusion, or expulsion. Because Whitefield Academy reserves the right to administer discipline for all student misconduct and behavior whether the actions occur on campus or off campus, Whitefield Academy may conduct investigations and intervene when off-campus infractions occur, particularly when the infractions involve drinking, drugs, and other serious offenses.

Further, many of the major offenses listed above are also violations of state and/or federal law and may result in prosecution under the law. Whitefield Academy fully embraces its legal responsibilities as they relate to student protection and serious student misbehavior. Thus, appropriate Whitefield Academy administrative personnel will report every case of possible sexual abuse to the appropriate legal authorities (i.e., Child Protective Services). Additionally, Whitefield Academy administrative personnel may involve law enforcement officials in other cases of serious student misbehavior when evidence dictates such involvement is a prudent course of action and/or when there is a specific legal requirement to do so.