VOORHEESVILLE — According to the policy manual for the Voorheesville Central School District, the procedure for an initial, or building-level, investigation of harassment is:

“Whenever a complaint of bullying is received whether verbal or written, it will be subject to a preliminary review and investigation. Except in the case of severe or criminal conduct, the Building Principal, the Principal’s Designee or the Bullying Prevention Coordinator shall make all reasonable efforts to resolve complaints informally at the school level. The goal of informal procedures is to end the bullying, prevent future incidents, ensure the safety of the target and obtain a prompt and equitable resolution to a complaint.

“As soon as possible, but no later than 15 school days following receipt of a complaint, Building Principal, the Principal's Designee or the Bullying Prevention Coordinator should begin an investigation of the complaint by:

– “Reviewing any written documentation provided by the target(s);

– “Conducting separate interviews of the target(s), alleged perpetrator(s), and witnesses, if any, and documenting the conversations;

– “Providing the alleged perpetrator(s) a chance to respond and notify him/her that if objectionable behavior has occurred, it must cease immediately.   The individual will be made aware of remediation opportunities as well as potential disciplinary consequences; and

– “Determining whether the complainant needs any accommodations to ensure his/her safety, and following up periodically until the complaint has been resolved.”

For a district-level procedure:

“The Superintendent or his/her designee shall promptly investigate and equitably resolve all bullying complaints that are referred to him/her, as well as those appealed to the Superintendent following an initial investigation.  In the event the complaint involves the Superintendent, the complaint shall be filed with or referred to the Board President, who shall refer the complaint to an appropriate independent individual for investigation.

“The district level investigation should begin as soon as possible 3 working days following receipt of the complaint by the Superintendent or Board President.
“In conducting the formal district level investigation, the district will endeavor to use individuals who have received formal training regarding such investigations or that have previous experience investigating such complaints.

“If a district level investigation results in a determination that bullying did occur, prompt corrective action will be taken to end the misbehavior in accordance with the Remediation/Discipline/Penalties section of this regulation.

“No later than 30 days following receipt of the complaint, the Superintendent (or in cases involving the Superintendent, the Board-appointed investigator) will notify the target and alleged perpetrator, in writing, of the outcome of the investigation. If additional time is needed to complete the investigation or take appropriate action, the Superintendent or Board-appointed investigator will provide all parties with a written status report within 30 days following receipt of the complaint.

“Any party who is not satisfied with the outcome of the district-level investigation may appeal to the Board of Education by submitting a written request to the Board President within 30 days.”