HOISINGTON — Prompted by public comments by a parent and grandparent of a Hoisington Middle School student Monday, the USD 431 Board of Education stated it would consider revising its cell phone misuse and cyberbullying policy at its November meeting.
The family members of the teen said the student was a victim of cyberbullying.
A Middle School student was given two days of in-school suspension as punishment for the incident as a violation of current district policy.
USD 431 Superintendent Patrick Crowdis said Friday the board has not yet set agenda items for the November meeting and that in usual practice prepares items to be discussed within a week of the scheduled meeting date. He said the board conducts an annual review of its policies contained in the district handbook, but that a review of policies in advance of the November meeting will include items relating to the incident.
“It is in some way related to this incident, but that also takes place on an annual basis for review to make adjustments as needed as well,” Crowdis said. “We will look into that as we begin to set the agenda.”
A report of the incident was filed with the Hoisington Police Department by school officials, he said. “Per our counsel at (the Kansas Association of School Boards), if we believe that there is a law that has been violated, we contact law enforcement. If the parents choose to, they can contact law enforcement as well.”
Hoisington Police Chief Kenton Doze confirmed a report was made to his department by school district officials regarding the incident. He said, however, while the district reported to HPD, the guardians of the student contacted the Barton County Sheriff to file a report. “The choice to do that is up to them,” he said.
Doze said it was a practice of the HPD to maintain a presence within the school district buildings, noting this was to create an atmosphere of safety.
“My guys have been walking the halls since the 1990s,” he said. “We are not there just when we are called. We are there to help the students feel they are safe.”
The presence serves as a function of a school resource officer, which many districts in the state have employed to enforce district policy. USD 431 does not have the funding to employ an SRO, Doze noted.
Doze did say that the board’s current policy needed to be revised. “It is my opinion that the cyberbullying portion needs to be changed,” he said.
At the meeting
On Monday, USD 431 parent Molly Brewer and grandfather Wayne Stout prefaced their concerns with the belief that the matter would be discussed in executive session with the board. According to the board’s posted procedures and guidelines for addition to the agenda, the BOE may not take action on the item being presented.
“I thought we were going to be going to be in executive session,” Brewer said. “A lot of my notes were made to that.”
Brewer said that while policies governing other conduct concerns were adequate, the policy on cyberbullyng was deficient in its definition and penalties for violation.
“You guys have some great policies,” she said. “The policies on alcohol and drugs; firearms and even on bullying.
“I just feel like the action that was taken with my daughter was not enough because (the bullying) continued.”
Stout said another student took photos of his granddaughter while she was undressing in the locker room at the Hoisington Middle School. Those photos were then posted online.
“Comments of some people may view this picture as a bathing suit top, like it’s no big deal,” said Stout. “Well, it is a big deal to a 13-year-old who thinks she has privacy undressing in a USD 431 locker room. Little does she know that her privacy rights are being violated behind her back.”
Stout said that he believes his granddaughter “no longer feels safe.
“She is now first dressing in her athletic clothes and then putting her street clothes over them, because she doesn’t trust your locker rooms. That is the conditions we’re in right now,” Stout said.
The board took no action following the presentation. The board did recess into executive session later in the meeting with both Crowdis and Middle School Principal Bob Brungardt with no action taken.
