A. Preliminary Considerations
When a complaint of harassment, cyber-harassment, intimidation or retaliation is brought to the attention of the Dean of Guidance or any guidance counselor or school administrator, an assessment will be made as to whether any initial steps need to be taken to protect the well-being of students and to prevent disruption of their learning environment while the investigation is being conducted.
B. Investigation Process
The following is an outline of the procedure that will be pursued once a report has been brought to the attention of the Dean of Guidance, or any guidance counselor or school administrator:
An impartial investigation of the report will be conducted by the Dean of Guidance and the Dean of Students. That investigation may include (but will not necessarily be limited to) interviews with the person who made the report, with the student who was the target of the alleged conduct, with the person or persons against whom the report was made, and with any students, faculty, staff or other persons who may have information about the alleged incident.
In some cases, the Dean of Guidance may also choose to consult with other teachers and/or additional health or educational professionals in a manner consistent with the confidentiality commitment discussed in Section (V) of this Plan.
C. Resolution, Notification and Follow-up
All reported cases of harassment, cyber-harassment, intimidation or retaliation will be treated seriously and investigated with care as outlined herein. Respect will be shown to any person who has made a report as well as to any person against whom a report has been made.
Following interviews and any other investigation deemed appropriate, the Dean of Guidance will determine whether and to what extent the allegation of harassment, cyber-harassment, intimidation or retaliation has been substantiated. If they determine that the policy under this Plan has been violated, they will consult with other appropriate administrators—in a manner consistent with the confidentiality commitment discussed in Section (V) of this Plan—for the application of disciplinary action up to and including expulsion from Fairfield Prep.
In some cases, such as when a crime may have been committed or when it is otherwise required by law, law-enforcement or other appropriate government authorities may be notified.
Upon the completion of an investigation, the Dean of Guidance will follow up on any final decision by meeting with the student or, individually, the students who were the target of the alleged incident as well as with the student or, individually, the students against whom the report was made, and their parents. The Dean of Guidance will inform them of the results of the investigation and of the punitive and/or corrective steps, if any, that will be taken to resolve the situation. The amount of information provided in these meetings may be limited by confidentiality laws protecting student records.
Further follow-up contacts will be made with any student found to have been targeted in violation of this policy, and his parents, to inquire as to whether there have been any further incidents.