ZERO TOLERANCE VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROGRAM

 

BACKGROUND

            A top priority of the Tangipahoa Parish School System is to provide a physically and psychologically safe environment for students.  Fighting is disruptive to the school climate and causes students to feel threatened.  Studies have shown that the majority of students who bring weapons to school do so to defend themselves.  Students who feel safe are less likely to bring weapons to school.  Guns, knives, and other weapons are obviously hazardous to a safe learning environment and the possibility that such items will be brought to school must be significantly reduced.  In 1997, because discipline records had reflected a significant increase in the number of student fights in recent years, the Tangipahoa Parish School Board passed a Zero Tolerance for Violence Policy.

            School administrators, law enforcement officials, representatives from the District Attorney’s Office, Hammond City Court, and 21st Judicial District Court worked cooperatively to develop the present Zero Tolerance for Violence Prevention Program.  This interagency developed program requires that students, who are of the age to be in the seventh grade and above, that choose to fight on campus, at extracurricular activities, on school buses and/or at school bus stops, shall be arrested.

 

PROCEDURES

  1. When a fight takes place as determined by the principal (or designee), appropriate law enforcement officials will be called to come to the school.
  2. Each participant in the fight will be arrested and taken into custody, unless it is established by the principal/designee, that one or more students were the sole aggressor(s) and the other student(s) involved acted only in self-defense.
  3. Thereafter, attempts will immediately be made to contact the parents.
  4. Each student arrested will be processed through the judicial system.  Alternatively, they may be offered the opportunity to attend conflict resolution sessions.
  5. Each student who chooses to fight will be assessed a fee of $50 to defray the cost of the sessions.
  6. Each of the student aggressors will be suspended a minimum of five days from school and must participate in two conflict resolution classes prior to returning to school.  Three days will be unexcused absences and make-up work will not be given.  However, work missed during the two days that a student attends conflict resolution training may be made-up.
  7. Parents are required to attend and participate in the final session so that children may discuss the solution reached and possible referrals can be made to other sources.
  8. If a student refuses to attend the conflict resolution sessions, he/she shall be referred to the Office of the District Attorney.
  9. All students who chose to fight a second time shall be scheduled for an expulsion hearing in accordance with policy JD-R.  In addition, a $100 fee must be paid.   The policy on absences will apply as per #6 above.