Bully policy spurs sit-in at middle school

A dozen Whitefish Middle School students decided to hold a “sit-in” Thursday in the halls of the school to express their opinion that the school is not enforcing its bullying program.

School Superintendent Kate Orzoco confirmed the students held the sit-in.

“They wanted to protest what they feel is the school’s inability to enforce the bullying policy,” she said. “The students feel the school isn’t doing enough.”

Orzoco said she spent more than an hour meeting with the students giving them the chance to air their grievances.

The Whitefish Pilot was alerted to the sit-in by a parent who claims their child, a student at the middle school, has repeatedly been bullied. The parent alleges that administrators have been unresponsive to the incidents.

Orzoco said the school has a zero tolerance policy against bullying and every incident of bullying is investigated.

The middle school student handbook addresses the district’s policy on bullying. Hazing, threatening, bullying or harassing students on or off school property in-person or electronically is considered a major offense. Those “behaviors could result in in-school suspension, out-of-school suspension, referral to the local police or recommendation to the school board for expulsion” from the middle school, the handbook reads.

The middle school follows the “Take A Stand” program to educate students about and work to prevent bullying. The program asks students to “Take A Stand” against bullying by not participating in bullying, by standing up for peers and reporting incidents of bullying.

Orzoco describes the program as “one of the best anti-bullying curriculums.”

“There is a serious investment from administrators, teachers and staff in the safety of our middle school students,” she said. “We care deeply about the safety of all our children.”