APS Response to Suspension Policy

NEWS RELEASE # 70
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 7, 2012

 

APS Response to Suspension Policy

Aurora Public Schools is committed to trust, teamwork and transparency. Achieving this is a continual process. We would like to thank our parents, community members and others who shared their viewpoints with us. 

Because of our commitment to keep student matters private, which is a legal and ethical obligation, we cannot discuss this case specifically.

Aurora Public Schools wants to assure students, parents and community members that a student would not be suspended for merely singing a song. If actions warrant, we would consider suspending a student to emphasize the seriousness of the actions and to prevent further inappropriate behavior toward another student.

We want to clarify that our discipline procedures allow principals the discretion to work with families and possibly change the reason for a suspension while continuing to address the disruptive behavior.

If a student faces disciplinary action, our priority and goal is to meet with parents and guardians to collaborate with them on solutions that will support their child’s success and promote a safe learning environment for all students.

 

Previous statement

Aurora Public Schools believes that all students are entitled to pursue their education in school-related environments that are free of sexual harassment, bullying and disruptions. It is APS policy to investigate and deal appropriately with offending students when complaints of such offensive behavior are made. 

Per APS policy, “sexual harassment” refers to behavior which is not welcome, is personally offensive, and therefore, interferes with the learning of the victim(s) and sometimes their peers. This is not a criminal definition of sexual harassment; it is one that is focused on providing a safe learning environment for all Aurora Public School students.

APS has a Bully Prevention Campaign in place to deal with bullying at school sites. When bullying involves certain remarks, gestures or contact, it is elevated to sexual harassment. Examples of sexual harassment in APS include:

• Sexually oriented "kidding" or inappropriate references to sexual matters
• Continued or repeated verbal remarks about a person's body
• Making sexual or lewd gestures
• Unwelcome sexual touching, such as offensive brushing against a person, patting or pinching

A variety of discipline options regarding sexual harassment include peer counseling, suspension and expulsion. It is important to note that, in Aurora Public Schools, suspension can range from in-school suspension, to an out-of-school suspension for the remainder of the offending day, to out-of-school suspension for up to 10 days depending on the circumstance and student discipline history.

 

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Interested media may contact APS News Media Specialist
Paula Hans at 303-326-2755 for more information