Published: July 23, 2008 01:15 am            

WILSON: District discusses harassment policy

WILSON — The Wilson School District’s personnel director on Tuesday night recommended several changes to the district’s harassment policy. She also identified to the school board at least one instance in which the district was not following its own policy.

The changes were recommended at Tuesday’s work session meeting for the Board of Education.

In the aftermath of an alleged assault involving Wilson students back in April, the district wanted personnel director Karen Huguenor to go over its personnel and harassment policies. Huguenor presented her findings to the board and said the harassment policy, itself, was fine.

“The policy is good as it stands, but I recommend we make a couple of changes,” she said.

One change she recommended was appointing a second harassment complaint officer. The policy specifies that the district should have two such officers, one for each gender. Currently there is only one complaint officer appointed. Complaint officers do not receive stipends above and beyond their normal pay from the district.

The second change Huguenor suggested was that a written report about a harassment incident should be received by someone in the district. Currently that does not happen, and hasn’t happened, Huguenor told the board. The report would come from whatever agency is doing the investigation into the incident.

Another recommendation Huguenor made was to post the student harassment policy in the buildings and in the student and district employees handbooks. Huguenor also recommended the use of a public relations specialist to help the district to get information out to the public about incidents that may take place.

“It’s really important that we have a number of different people contributing to public relations,” said Superintendent Michael Wendt. “It gives us another person in the process.”

Currently, Wilson uses Orleans/Niagara Board of Cooperative Educational Services for public relations.

Wendt said any policy change has to be approved by the board after two readings and a review by the district.

Contact reporter Joe Olenick

at 439-9222, ext. 6241.

        

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