Updated Policy To Expand Help Offered To Middle School, High School Students Who Claim To Be Victims.
BY: STAFF REPORT | BocaNewsNow.com
BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2021 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — Victims of dating violence in the Palm Beach County School District may request class changes, a locker in a different location, time off to see a counselor and other accommodations to stay away from the alleged abuser. The School Board is set to approve updated and, in some cases, sweeping new polices at its July 28th meeting.
Students in middle and high school who claim to be victims of dating violence will be offered the following accommodations, according to the policy proposal: “Accommodations include, but are not limited to, change of class seat or workgroup assignment; change of locker assignment; change of student’s class schedule, homeroom, or extracurricular activities; permission to leave class or excused absences to see a counselor or other support professionals; makeup class work including homework, quizzes, tests, and any other graded work; for classes missed due to dating violence or threat thereof, or treatment for such violence…”
The policy defines dating violence this way: “Dating violence or abuse is defined as a pattern of emotional, verbal, sexual, or physical abuse used by one person in a current or past da- ting relationship to exert power and control over another when one or both of the partners is a teenager. Abuse may include insults, coercion, social sabotage, sexual harassment, stalking, threats, and/or acts of physical or sexual abuse. The abusive partner uses this pattern of vi- olent and coercive behavior to gain power and maintain control over the dating partner. This may also include abuse, harassment, and stalking via electronic devices such as cell phones and computers, and harassment through a third party, and may be physical, mental or both.”
We are publishing the complete proposal, below. If the PDF does not appear, please access it here. The language in red is traditionally updated, new or amended language from previous versions of the policy or proposed policy.
