Schools consider changes in discipline policies

Kalispell Public Schools is taking a close look at its hazing and chemical use policies after a handful of conduct violations over the last several months.

Administrators, coaches, parents and school board trustees met Tuesday to discuss possible revisions to the district’s chemical use and bullying, harassment, intimidation and hazing rules.

Participants worked in small groups to brainstorm ideas on improving the policies.

Kalispell’s current chemical use policy says students in extra- and co-curricular activities will not use, have in possession, sell or distribute alcohol, tobacco or illegal drugs, nor abuse prescription or nonprescription drugs during their seasons.

The rules are in effect 24 hours a day, and students who are ticketed by law enforcement or who are seen violating the rules will not be allowed to participate in activities.

High school handbooks take the district policy a step further; they say students may not be present at a place where illegal drug, alcohol or tobacco use is happening, even if the students are not participating in the illegal activities.

Students who violate the policies are immediately dismissed from the activity for the remainder of the season. But the school district learned this fall that its “one and done” policy doesn’t hold up in court.

Coaches removed four players, including all-state lineman Connor Thomas, from the Flathead High School football team in September for violating the chemical use policy after marijuana and paraphernalia were found in their car during a traffic stop.

Thomas denied using the pot or owning paraphernalia, but his presence in the car violated the so-called gathering clause in the school handbook.

He was reinstated after his mother sued the school district.

The court ordered Thomas’ reinstatement in part because the district doesn’t have a tiered approach for handling chemical use violations, trustee Ivan Lorentzen said. The district’s attorney didn’t want to go to court over a student who didn’t have a pattern of violations.

“That second offense, you can make that stick, but the first, that’s a real thin leg to stand on,” he said.

But others were uncomfortable with a tiered structure for students who have signed contracts pledging not to violate the policy.

“I can see where a tiered approach is a good idea, but as a coach, I like it where you signed a contract and if you blow it, you blow it — that’s the way it is,” said physical education teacher Eric Duffy, who coaches seventh-grade football and basketball at Kalispell Middle School.

Glacier High Principal Callie Langohr said she, too, struggled with a tiered approach.

“Where I’m struggling with tiered consequences ... I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect our students to follow the law,” she said.

“I have a lot of questions and concerns about the message we send to young people. We’re talking illegal activity here, and they know it’s illegal. So why would we keep giving them second and third and fourth chances? Expect it on the first time.”

Trustee Eve Dixon responded: “I agree with what you’re saying, but it won’t stand up in court.”

The group also discussed whether to keep the current policy of suspending a student for a season or changing suspensions to a set period of time, so a student who violated policy in the last week of one season might have to sit out for part of the next season.

People also talked about maintaining a safety net for students in trouble.

“A lot of these kids that are there on the edge to start with, you pull away the one safety net they have,” Assistant Superintendent Dan Zorn said. “You have to keep them involved to some degree.”

The district’s bullying policy is relatively new; it was adopted in 2009. Nearly every district in Montana has the same policy, which was drafted by a state-level group last year, Superintendent Darlene Schottle said.

The policy says simply that bullying, harassment, intimidation or hazing by students, staff or third parties — including harassing others via electronic devices — is prohibited.

The policy was put to use over the summer, when six Flathead football players were disciplined for a hazing incident during a Class AA coaches’ football camp in Billings.

The group discussed how to handle issues that take place outside of school, whether at a summer camp or outside school on an online forum. They also talked about how students can report bullying; many victims hesitate to tell adults about harassment.

“Without confidentiality, a lot of kids aren’t going to come forward because they know if they do, [the bullying] is going to get worse,” trustee Tom Clark said.

But adults can’t promise confidentiality, Langohr said.

“As part of due process ... if you’ve been accused of some kind of behavior, you have the right to know who accused you,” she said.

The group agreed on the importance of training student leaders who can positively influence their peers. They also discussed prevention education for students and adults. While elementary schools have anti-bullying campaigns, such schoolwide training drops off at the high school level.

The district will continue to discuss both policies and hopes to receive input from more coaches and community members. Comments may be sent to Schottle at schottled@sd5.k12.mt.us.

The policies are available at www.sd5.k12.mt.us/brd/pnp/pnptoc.htm.

Reporter Kristi Albertson may be reached at 758-4438 or at kalbertson@dailyinterlake.com.