School district revises harassment policy

Somers-Lakeside School District has recently revised its policy on sexual harassment and intimidation of students, but says the changes were not spurred by complaints from parents about how an incident was handled earlier this year.

The existing policy already defines sexual harassment, who a student should report a complaint to, employees’ responsibility to assist them in the complaint process, and efforts the district will take to resolve issues. Schools must also follow state statute as mandated reporters.

What has been added to the district policy is clarification on who a staff member should report a complaint to within the administration and that parents should be notified if their child makes a complaint. The policy revision also references a harassment reporting form that a complainant should complete. The form existed before the revision, but people may not have been aware of it because it has been listed separately from the policy, according to Somers-Lakeside School District Superintendent Joe Price.

The additional language states: “Any staff member who receives a report from a student which alleges they are being sexually harassed shall immediately relay this complaint to their building principal and the District’s Title IX Coordinator (superintendent). The complainant will complete the Harassment Reporting form (3225F) with assistance as needed. The Title IX Coordinator and/or principal will notify the complainant’s parent/guardian as soon as possible.”

The policy revision comes at a time when several Somers Middle School families have expressed disappointment in the way the district’s administration handled complaints children made to staff in April alleging inappropriate behavior that made them uncomfortable during a class. As a result of what some perceived as inaction, some families pulled their children out of the district at the beginning of the school year.

The policy revision was not a direct response to the April complaints, according to Price. He said policies are periodically reviewed, and “like we do in any situation we’re trying to learn from our experience and improve.”

Brooke Nash, Brandy Vickrey and Shannon Wilkerson have a different perspective. The three parents were among six families whose children were impacted by the alleged April incident.

Nash said, in her opinion, the policy revision was a direct response to how the middle school and district handled student complaints.

“The truth is they didn’t need to change their policy; they just needed to follow it,” Nash said.

Aware that the policy now includes parent notification as a part of the reporting procedure, Vickrey thought that would have been common sense.

“At the time, honestly, all I wanted to know were the circumstances of the situation,” Vickrey said.

A lack of communication by administration has been a source of frustration for the parents, especially what they see as the failure to notify them that their children had shared concerns and complaints of a serious nature, or what steps would be taken in investigating the allegations or reporting it to authorities such as Child and Family Services or law enforcement.

After roughly two days of uncertainty about how the district was handling the alleged April incident, the parents contacted law enforcement. While no criminal charges resulted after Flathead County Sheriff’s Office investigated the allegations, it still disconcerts parents who feel there hasn’t been any accountability on the district’s part.

What has particularly disheartened the three parents is that it may cause their children to lose trust in seeking help with an uncomfortable situation with adults.

“What children are always taught is that you go to a grownup you trust,” Wilkerson said. “They didn’t know what to do in an uncomfortable situation, and the grownups were too busy or didn’t know how to handle the situation.”

Nash echoed a similar sentiment.

“What is most heartbreaking as a mother is that my daughter did what I have always told her to do and told an adult when she felt uncomfortable,” Nash said. “She was completely dismissed by the adults that were supposed to protect her and the administration didn’t even give her and the girls the respect of a conversation even up to 48 hours after the complaint was made. At that time, the parents got involved.”

Price maintained that the district did not disregard the complaints and said he stood by how the district handled the situation.

“In situations such as this, we strive to treat students and their families fairly and respectfully, and we must do the same for staff. I absolutely stand behind how this was handled,” Price said.

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.