Reporting Bullying, Hazing, and Hate Incidents and Crimes
Reporting Safety Concerns
Visit the below resources regarding safety concerns:
Responding to and Reporting Hate-Motivated Incidents and Crimes (October 2020)
The San Mateo Union High School District (District) is committed to providing a safe learning and working environment that is free from discrimination and harassment. Hate-motivated incidents and crimes jeopardize both the safety and well-being of all students and staff. Current law requires school districts to document and report any and all hate-motivated incidents and crimes to permit the development of effective programs and techniques to combat crime on school campuses.
The District will not tolerate hate-motivated incidents/crimes based on race, color, national origin, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or retaliation in any form for reporting such incidents/crimes.
District policy on Bullying and the Federal Law Title IX for the documentation and reporting of hate-motivated incidents/ that manifests evidence of hostility toward the target because of his or her actual or perceived race, color, national origin, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity. Such action includes, but is not limited to, threatening telephone calls, hate mail, physical assault, vandalism, cross burning, destruction of religious symbols, symbols of hate, or fire bombings. This also includes threats or hate mail sent by electronic communication.
Responding to and Reporting Bullying, Hazing, and Hate-Motivated Incidents and Crimes (June 2021)
The San Mateo Union High School District (District) is committed to providing a safe learning
and working environment that is free from discrimination and harassment. The District takes a
strong position against bullying, hazing, hate-motivated acts, or any behavior that infringes on
the safety or well-being of students, employees, or any person within the District’s jurisdiction.
Current law requires school districts to document and report any and all hate-motivated
incidents and crimes to permit the development of effective programs and techniques to combat
crime on school campuses. District policy requires all schools and all personnel to promote
mutual respect, tolerance, and acceptance among students and staff. Article 1, Section 28(c) of
the California State Constitution states: “All students and staff of public, primary, elementary,
junior high and senior high have the inalienable right to attend campuses which are safe, secure
and peaceful.” Schools’ compliance with ensuring “safe, secure and peaceful” campuses shall
also be referenced and reflected in the development of each school’s Safe School Plan.
This policy bulletin shall encompass behaviors or actions that occur among students, District employees, and associated adults. This policy is applicable to all areas of the District’s jurisdiction, including school and District-related activities, events, programs, and traveling to and from school. This bulletin is aligned with District policy and procedures for the documentation and reporting of hate-motivated incidents/ that manifests evidence of hostility toward the target because of his or her actual or perceived race, color, national origin, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity. Such action includes, but is not limited to, threatening telephone calls, hate mail, physical assault, vandalism, cross burning, destruction of religious symbols, or fire bombings. This also includes threats or hate mail sent by electronic communication.
Anonymous Alerts
The Anonymous Alerts anti-bullying and safety app reporting system helps combat bullying and other negative activity in schools by empowering students to speak up.
The system allows for 1 way or 2 way anonymous encrypted communications between submitters (students, parents or community members) and district administration and/or school staff. Users of the system have the option to remain anonymous or reveal their identity when submitting a report.
To send a report from your phone:
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Download the STOPit app for free from the Apple Store, Google Play store, or the Chrome store
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Start the App, enter login: sanmateouhsd and password: sanmateouhsd
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Send important reports to school officials
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Add a screenshot, photo or video about the incident
Title IX
Title IX protects people from discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities that receive Federal financial assistance.
Title IX states that: No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.
Learn more about Title IX and Sex Discrimination enforced by the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at U.S. Department of Education.
Title IX Training Materials: 2020 Presentation
To learn more, read about Uniform Complaint Procedures (BP-AR 1312.3)
Other Concerns
Anti-Bullying
The Board of Trustees recognizes the harmful effects of bullying on student well-being, student learning, and school attendance and desires to provide a safe school environment that protects students from physical and emotional harm. No individual or group shall, through physical, written, verbal, visual, or other means, harass, sexually harass, threaten, intimidate, cyberbully, cause bodily injury to, or commit hate violence against any student or school personnel, or retaliate against them for filing a complaint or participating in the complaint resolution process.