If your child is experiencing bullying, notify your child’s principal about the bullying behavior in writing in an email or in a letter with a date on it. Include any evidence you may have. For example, if another student is posting threatening comments on your child’s social media, take screenshots and print them out or include them as attachments in the email you submit. Save a copy of this email or letter and ask for the school to confirm in writing that they have received it.
It’s important that you notify the school in writing in an email or a letter because then you have a record showing that you notified the school, which will make it easier for you to file a grievance if the school does not appropriately address the bullying behavior.
If the bullying is an ongoing issue which is happening repeatedly, make sure that you tell your child to report every incident to a teacher, a counselor, or a principal. Keep a log of each bullying incident with dates and names of school staff to whom your child reported each incident so that you have a record that you can use in the grievance process if the school does not appropriately address the bullying behavior.
As mentioned above, every school district is required by law to have a policy against bullying and harassment. Almost every Texas school district has its board policies available online. You can usually find your district’s board policies by searching for your district’s name and board policy manual. For example, if your child attends Austin Independent School District and you want to find their board policy manual online, conduct a Google search for “Austin Independent School District board policy manual.” Then search within the board policy manual website for “FFI (LOCAL),” which will show you your district’s policy against bullying titled “STUDENT WELFARE - FREEDOM FROM BULLYING.” Read this policy carefully to learn about your district’s obligations.
After you or your child notifies the administration about bullying, the principal or another district employee usually has to complete an investigation into the alleged bullying within 10 business days and provide the victim’s family a written report as to whether or not bullying occurred. The written report is subject to privacy laws that protect students’ privacy, so it may be redacted in some places to protect the privacy of involved students. However, it will still tell you whether or not bullying occurred.
If the school investigates the alleged bullying and determines that bullying occurred, the district must take action to stop the bullying and to discipline the person or people who engaged in the bullying behaviors. The district should also offer counseling to your child and the child or children who engaged in the bullying. The district may also notify law enforcement in severe cases.
If the district determines in its report that bullying did not occur, but you think the report is wrong, you can appeal by filing a grievance under board policy FNG (LOCAL), which is also available in your district’s online board policy manual. If you plan to file a grievance under board policy FNG (LOCAL), consider hiring an attorney who specializes in school law to guide you through the process.
The grievance form is usually available online on your school district’s main website. If you cannot find it online, you can also ask the administration at your child’s school for the FNG (LOCAL) grievance form. The administration at your child’s school should know what a grievance is and should be able to provide you with the form, but if they refuse to give you the form, note the date and time of the conversation, along with what was said. Then call the district administration and ask where you can find the FNG (LOCAL) grievance form and write about your child’s principal’s refusal to provide you with the form in your grievance.
Note that all of the timelines mentioned above may vary for your district. Check your district’s policies to become familiar with your district’s timelines.