Safe School Environment

New Haven Public Schools is committed to providing an open, welcoming, safe and supportive environment for all students, parents and families. To this end, we encourage all of our families to communicate with us and to play a role in shaping positive school climates that foster learning and personal growth of children, regardless of background, language, or immigration status. The district and our schools are committed to treating all students and parents with fairness and respect and will not discriminate against family members for any reason.
 
 
Bullying
 
Bullying is defined as repeated acts by any student in the New Haven Public School district against another student in the district that causes physical or emotional harm to a student or such student’s property, places a student in reasonable fear of harm to himself or herself or of damage to his or her property, creates a hostile environment at school for such student,
infringes on the rights of such student at school, or substantially disrupts the educational process.
 
Bullying may include but is not limited to, acts based on actual or perceived differentiating characteristics:  gender,  gender identity and expression, ethnicity, national origin, race, sexual orientation, physical, mental, developmental or sensory capacity, academic status, physical appearance, or religion.   Bullying extends to hostile written, verbal or electronic communication or physical acts or gestures against any student(s) associated with an individual or group who has or is perceived to have one or more of the above perceived differentiating characteristics, including physical appearance, gender identity and expression, socioeconomic status, academic status, developmental or sensory disability. 
 
Cyberbullying is the use of technology, including but not limited to email, cellular mobile telephone, instant messaging, web pages, and digital photo, to harass or bully someone.
 
Sexual Harassment
 
Sexual harassment is defined as any unwelcome sexual advances or request for sexual favors or any verbal, nonverbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when such conduct has the purpose or effect of substantially interfering with an individual’s work or academic performance, or creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive working or academic environment; when submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment or academic decisions affecting such individual; or submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual’s employment, or her/his academic status or progress.   Sexual harassment is not limited to prohibited behavior by a male toward a female, or by a supervisory employee toward a non-supervisory employee, or a teacher to a student.   Harassment may be student to student, teacher to student, student to teacher or teacher to teacher.  The victim does not have to be the opposite sex of the harasser.  The gender of the complainant and/or the alleged harasser is irrelevant, even if they are of the same gender.  Sexual harassment based on sexual orientation or gender identify is also prohibited under State law
 
Safe School Climate Plan
In accordance with Public Act 11-232, Connecticut school districts are required to adhere to specific state guidelines.  The Safe School Climate Plan was developed to reduce incidents of student bullying and to create and actively promote safe school environments for all students.   The plan will address five major socially challenging behaviors.  These challenges include bullying, harassment, sexual harassment,  discrimination and teen suicide.