Public talks bullying action plan at workshop  

Posted 5/24/19

CHEYENNE – Dozens of residents, lawmakers and educators offered solutions to systemic bullying and harassment within Laramie County School District No. 1 during a three-hour workshop Thursday.

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Public talks bullying action plan at workshop  

Posted

By Chrissy Suttles

Wyoming Tribune Eagle

Via Wyoming News Exchange

CHEYENNE – Dozens of residents, lawmakers and educators offered solutions to systemic bullying and harassment within Laramie County School District No. 1 during a three-hour workshop Thursday.

The meeting, facilitated by the U.S. Department of Justice-Community Relations Service, was held at Cheyenne’s Storey Gymnasium to address public frustration following the flyers incident at McCormick Junior High in March. An internal investigation revealed policy violations and cases of harassment at McCormick, prompting the district to release an action plan.

This includes more employee training, new diversity-focused Department of Justice programs, policy evaluation and diverse hiring committees.

On Thursday, LCSD1 invited the public to participate in small-group discussions about the plan and present their thoughts to district administrators and board members.

Many groups independently said the district should review its implementation of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, which has been used in schools worldwide for decades.

The program prioritizes multi-level intervention, but some said students eventually lose interest in the lessons over time.

“Some teachers said, because the program starts for some kids at fourth grade and runs through eighth grade, the kids are not picking it up,” LCSD1 trustee Rose Ann Rinne said. “They’re having a hard time staying focused on what that lesson is.”

As it stands, LCSD1 wants to better monitor the use of Olweus at McCormick; the action plan notes some staff members are not implementing the program “with fidelity.”

Others stressed the need for a more diverse district-wide staff, cultural competence among all employees and the introduction of out-of-state entities to drive lasting change. A number of attendees said they’re concerned LCSD1 wouldn’t follow through if public pressure tapered off.

Former Wyoming Rep. Nathan Winters, speaking on behalf of his small group of participants, said some wanted to know more about how the district responded to the McCormick incident internally.

“There were many people who felt (the district’s response) was guarded, or possibly protected,” he said. “But we also understand, when it comes to hiring and firing decisions, that your hands are tied. I don’t think people felt fully informed on, for instance, if the young people who made these poor choices were properly disciplined.”

Another group, which included the only LCSD1 student to participate in the workshop, asked administrators to clarify their expectations of students and make school policy user-friendly to kids their age. This included how students can expect to be disciplined if they break the rules, and what protections exist for employees who report bullying at the school.

The student said her classmates often don’t trust teachers to report harassment at all – students are often told to “just ignore it.”

“With that mistrust comes one thing that’s really crucial for kids – having that one safe adult,” LCSD1 Trustee Christy Klaassen said. “That could be the janitor or the lunch lady, but it’s about a kid having a safe person they can go to talk about it.”

LCSD1 Superintendent Boyd Brown told attendees the action plan, like the school’s policy, is always evolving and could change based on public input.