Board Policy on Hate-Motivated Behavior

Board Policy 5145.9

San Francisco Unified School District and County Office of Education

Board Policy 5145.9

Hate-Motivated Behavior

This Board Policy applies to the San Francisco Unified School District and the County Office of Education.

The Governing Board is committed to providing a safe learning environment that protects students from discrimination, harassment, intimidation, bullying, and other behavior motivated by a person's hostility towards another person's real or perceived ethnicity, national origin, immigrant status, sex, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, age, disability, or any other physical or cultural characteristic. The Superintendent or designee shall design strategies to promote harmonious relationships among students, prevent incidents of hate-motivated behavior to the extent possible, and address such incidents if they occur.

(cf. 0410 - Nondiscrimination in District Programs and Activities)

(cf. 0450 - Comprehensive Safety Plan)

(cf. 3515.4 - Recovery for Property Loss or Damage)

(cf. 5131- Conduct)

(cf. 5131.2 - Bullying)

(cf. 5131.5 - Vandalism and Graffiti)

(cf. 5136 - Gangs)

(cf. 5137 - Positive School Climate)

(cf. 5141.52 - Suicide Prevention)

(cf. 5145.3 - Nondiscrimination/Harassment)

(cf. 5145.7 - Sexual Harassment)

The Superintendent or designee shall collaborate with regional programs and community organizations to promote safe environments for youth. Such collaborative efforts shall focus on ensuring an efficient use of District and community resources, developing effective prevention strategies and response plans, providing assistance to students affected by hate-motivated behavior, and/or educating students who have perpetrated hate-motivated acts.

(cf. 1020 - Youth Services)

(cf. 1400 - Relations Between Other Governmental Agencies and the Schools)

(cf. 1700 - Relations Between Private Industry and the Schools)

(cf. 5148.2 - Before/After School Programs)

The District shall provide students with age-appropriate instruction that includes the development of social-emotional learning, promotes their understanding of and respect for human rights, diversity, and acceptance in a multicultural society, and provides strategies to manage conflicts constructively.

(cf. 5138 - Conflict Resolution/Peer Mediation)

(cf. 6142.3 - Civic Education)

(cf. 6142.4 - Service Learning/Community Service Classes)

(cf. 6142.94 - History-Social Science Instruction)

As necessary, the District shall provide counseling, guidance, and support to students who are victims of hate-motivated behavior and to students who exhibit such behavior.

(cf. 6164.2 - Guidance/Counseling Services)

The Superintendent or designee shall ensure that the rules prohibiting hate-motivated behavior and procedures for reporting a hate-motivated incident are provided to students and parents/guardians.

The Superintendent or designee shall provide staff with training on recognizing and preventing hate-motivated behavior and on effectively enforcing rules for appropriate student conduct.

(cf. 4131 - Staff Development)

(cf. 4231 - Staff Development)

(cf. 4331 - Staff Development)

Complaint Process

A student or parent/guardian who believes the student is a victim of hate-motivated behavior is strongly encouraged to report the incident to a teacher, the principal, or other staff member.

Any staff member who is notified that hate-motivated behavior has occurred, observes such behavior, or otherwise becomes aware of an incident shall immediately contact the principal or the compliance officer responsible for coordinating the District's response to complaints and complying with state and federal civil rights laws. As appropriate, he/she shall also contact law enforcement.

(cf. 3515.3 - District Police/Security Department)

(cf. 5145.11 - Questioning and Apprehension by Law Enforcement)

Any student who feels that they are a victim of "hate-motivated" behavior shall immediately contact the principal or any trusted staff member with whom the student has a relationship. Reports can be made in writing or verbally and all complaints should be reported to a site administrator. If the student believes that the situation has not been remedied by the principal or designee, the student may file a complaint with the District's Office of Equity in accordance with District Uniform Complaint Procedures (Board Policy 1312.3).

If, during the investigation, it is determined that a complaint is about nondiscriminatory behavior, the principal or designee shall inform the complainant and shall take all necessary actions to resolve the complaint.

(cf. 1312.1 - Complaints Concerning District Employees)

(cf. 1312.3 - Uniform Complaint Procedures)

(cf. 5144 - Discipline)

(cf. 5144.1 - Suspension and Expulsion/Due Process)

(cf. 5144.2 - Suspension and Expulsion/Due Process (Students with Disabilities))

Legal Reference:

EDUCATION CODE

200-262.4  Prohibition of discrimination

32282  School safety plans

48900.3  Suspension for hate violence

48900.4  Suspension or expulsion for threats or harassment

PENAL CODE

422.55  Definition of hate crime

422.6  Crimes, harassment

CODE OF REGULATIONS, TITLE 5

4600-4670  Uniform complaint procedures

4900-4965  Nondiscrimination in elementary and secondary education programs

CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS, TITLE 28

35.107  Nondiscrimination on basis of disability; complaints

CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS, TITLE 34

100.3  Prohibition of discrimination on basis of race, color or national origin

104.7  Designation of responsible employee for Section 504

106.8  Designation of responsible employee for Title IX

110.25 Prohibition of discrimination based on age

Management Resources:

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION PUBLICATIONS

Bullying at School, 2003

CALIFORNIA OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL PUBLICATIONS

Promoting a Safe and Secure Learning Environment for All:  Guidance and Model Policies to Assist California K-12 Schools in Responding to Immigration Issues, April 2018

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, OFFICE FOR CIVIL RIGHTS PUBLICATIONS

Dear Colleague Letter:  Harassment and Bullying, October 2010

Dear Colleague Letter:  Prohibited Disability Harassment, July 2000

WEB SITES

CSBA:  http://www.csba.org

California Association of Human Relations Organizations:  http://www.cahro.org

California Department of Education:  http://www.cde.ca.gov

California Office of the Attorney General:  http://oag.ca.gov

U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights:  http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr

U.S. Department of Justice:  http://www.justice.gov

Please note that compare references, or “cf”, refer to CSBA model policies and do not necessarily indicate that the San Francisco Unified School District has adopted the referenced policy.

Cross References

Adopted: October 9, 2018

This page was last updated on October 18, 2022