Harassment, Assault, and Bullying
April 6, 2022
Please note: This article was originally posted during a previous school year. Information and/or dates from past events
may be not be relevant for the current school year.
Throughout this school year, CMCSS and individual schools have reached out and asked families to partner with us to address escalating student behaviors such as vandalism linked to social media challenges and threats of school violence. We have received concerns and feedback from faculty, staff, administrators, students, parents/guardians, and community members about the increasing level of incivility, disrespect, anger, and violence of both students and adults. We are asking families to partner with us to address these concerns.
A safe and respectful environment in school is necessary for students to learn and achieve and critical for our faculty, staff, and administrators to support our students effectively. CMCSS prohibits acts of harassment, intimidation, bullying, and hazing by students, district personnel, and volunteers or other third parties in the school environment. Students and adults are expected to demonstrate appropriate behavior, treat others with civility and respect, and refuse to tolerate bullying-related acts.
To date, CMCSS schools have investigated nearly 100 accusations of bullying-related acts and harassment this school year and there have been hundreds of cases of fighting and assault. Additionally, there have been several incidents of students, parents/guardians, and other adults using threatening and abusive language and actions towards teachers, staff, and administrators.
Students and adults are expected to immediately report incidents of harassment, intimidation, bullying, hazing, assault, or any other threatening or unsafe behaviors to any administrator, teacher, school resource officer, school counselor, or other school or district personnel. For more information, refer to the CMCSS Student Code of Conduct or the District’s Harassment, Intimidation, Bullying, and Hazing Policy. Due to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), CMCSS cannot share specific disciplinary actions taken against students, but the Student Code of Conduct provides the consequences of each founded offense. In addition to disciplinary measures per the Student Code of Conduct, students could face criminal charges from law enforcement for threats, assaults, fighting, and other illegal activities.
If a parent/guardian or student feels their concerns have not been addressed at the school level and they have discussed them with school administration, they should escalate their concerns to the Level Director for their child’s school by calling 931-553-1146 or via the email addresses below.
Jessica Harris – [email protected] – Barkers Mill, Burt, Byrns Darden, Cumberland Heights, Glenellen, Hazelwood, Kenwood, Liberty, Minglewood, Montgomery Central, Norman Smith, Northeast, Pisgah, Ringgold, St. Bethlehem, West Creek, Woodlawn
Emily Vaughn – [email protected] – Barksdale, Barksdale Spanish Immersion, Carmel, East Montgomery, Moore Magnet, Oakland, Rossview, Sango, CMCSS K-12 Virtual
Dr. Mary Gist – [email protected]
Dr. Rosalyn Evans – [email protected]
If the concern is not resolved by the Level Director, the concern should be escalated to the Chief Academic Officer Dr. Sean Impeartrice at [email protected] or 931-553-1146. Further escalation should be directed to the Interim Director of Schools Dr. Angela Huff at [email protected] or 931-920-7808.
In October during National Bullying Prevention Month, CMCSS’s campaign focused on One Kind Word. We heard from students across the District about the difference others’ kindness can make in our lives. Justice Jefferson, a student at Clarksville High School, stated, “One kind word is like putting a drop of ink into a jar of water. You’re putting that bit of kindness into who they are, and you can allow it to spread, to positively affect who they are.” We ask all families to please model respect, empathy, and kindness for children and reinforce positive behaviors at home and at school.