GILROY
– An open-minded atmosphere on the Gilroy High School campus,
combined with a no-tolerance policy and anti-harassment training,
could help deter harassment and ensure that students feel accepted
at school.
GILROY – An open-minded atmosphere on the Gilroy High School campus, combined with a no-tolerance policy and anti-harassment training, could help deter harassment and ensure that students feel accepted at school.
Gilroy School District already has anti-harassment training in place for both teachers and students, but officials said they may re-examine or expand the program in light of a lawsuit settlement that requires Morgan Hill School District’s administrators, teachers and students to undergo specific training for the next four years.
“As a result of some of the issues that we heard about in Morgan Hill, we thought it might be a good idea to look at our training and our requirements,” Superintendent Edwin Diaz said. “Sometimes, when something like this happens, it makes you again look back at your own policies.”
Diaz said GHS Principal Bob Bravo earlier this year began looking into anti-harassment training for teachers offered through the Santa Clara County Office of Education to supplement training they already receive.
“In terms of sensitivity training, that goes farther than the (existing) policy,” Bravo said.
School Board President Jaime Rosso said trustees will review GUSD’s harassment training as they continue to review board policies and procedures. However, they haven’t received any complaints.
“That’s something that has to be a concern of not just the public sector but the private sector – in other words, we’re aware of it,” he said. “No doubt, it’s something that we will bring up and we will review.”
Morgan Hill school and district officials, who were sued by six former students claiming that their reports of anti-gay harassment were ignored, have maintained they already provided anti-harassment training.
Bravo said that GHS “can have more” training and dialogue on campus.
“It always makes you think are we doing what we should be doing?” he said. “That just reinforces, yeah, that was something that we probably needed.”
At the beginning of each school year, Annie Tomasello, healthy start student support services coordinator, outlines for school staff different types of harassment, providing examples of inappropriate behavior.
“We have specific information that we provide employees, especially new employees, every year,” Diaz said.
School district employees are educated on laws pertaining to harassment on campus and in the workplace and procedures for reporting instances of harassment.
Starting this year, seventh- and ninth-graders will take an annual 50-minute training session dealing with harassment based on sexual orientation.
In GUSD, discussion of anti-gay harassment is included in classroom presentations and schoolwide assemblies for students, Tomasello said. A team of GHS staff is available to educate classrooms throughout the district, she said.
Community Solutions is one outside organization that offers student anti-harassment training, focusing on sexual assault.
“The schools take a very strong stance against sexual harassment,” said Vicki Caballero, coordinator for Community Solutions’ rape crisis program. The program visits all GUSD schools yearly, including kindergarten classes.
