By Linda Conner Lambeck

WESTPORT — After midnight early Friday, the Board of Education approved a new Student Discipline Policy and Code of Conduct that attempt to address a host of misbehaviors, including racial and protected-class harassment.

Votes on both proposals were 5-to-1, with board member Robert Harrington voting no. Board member Abby Tolan was not present.

Harrington acknowledged a huge amount of work went into revising the rules, but said he doesn’t think they are strong enough.

The policy and code open the door for stronger sanctions imposed on offending students’ privileges, particularly for repeat offenders. Rejoining extracurriculars or regaining parking privileges would be approved at the discretion of administrators.

For now, however, the documents remain silent on allowing anonymous reports of offenses. Some members of the board and public said allowing incidents to be reported anonymously would be essential to getting some situations reported and protecting the identities of some victims.

“I think there are big things that are not getting reported because people are scared,” said board member Jill Dillon.

Others questioned the ability of schools’ staff to fully investigate incidents that are reported anonymously, as well as the reliability of charges that can be made with no name attached.

“There are going to be unsubstantiated reports. How do we deal with that?” said Board Secretary Neil Phillips.

The board promised to revisit the topic at a later date.

In its place, board member Kevin Christie, chair of the policy committee, said there would be a massive push in the fall for students to report incidents. “I think that will resonate,” he said.

The approvals come months after the board began reworking the discipline policy to make it more transparent and consistent. 

During that time, a number of parents and students have come forward to report dissatisfaction with how incidents of racist and antisemitic bullying are being handled in the district. (Read about some of those complaints here, here and here.)

Additionally, a group of parents launched a website — KindWPS.com — and online petition demanding what they call meaningful change in the district’s Code of Conduct.

Usually, the board leaves the Code of Conduct up to the administration to craft. In this case, Supt. of Schools Thomas Scarice asked that the board approve the document just this once.

It took three meetings to refine documents the board was willing to vote on. Christie said approving the documents at Thursday’s meeting would give the administration time to roll them out when students return to classes for the next academic year.

Coupled with efforts of the district’s Equity Action Plan and use of restorative practices to work out differences, Christie said the policy changes will play a role in the district’s efforts to eradicate hate in Westport schools.

A group of parents and members of the Greater Norwalk NAACP have both lobbied for loss of privileges to extend beyond suspension periods and also for the reporting anonymously of incidents.

The handful of parents who remained as the meeting approached midnight were solidly behind anonymous reporting of offenses.

“We need a safe, accessible reporting system to protect individuals’ identities, particularly when they are being victimized,” said Barrie Rosen.

Rosen added that the safety of students and the reputation of the school district depend on it.

Harris Falk, a parent and former RTM member, said it is not only students who face repercussions for reporting incidents, but also their parents.

Tara Welch, another parent, said administrators who get anonymous tips can often use hallway security camera footage to check out reports.

Board Chair Lee Goldstein said the board has also gotten feedback from parents who say their children were unjustly punished for offenses.

Goldstein said she was uncomfortable with the notion of anonymous reporting offenses and how it would work, but suggested there are ways to do it, such as leaving a written note on a counselor’s desk. She too called for a fuller discussion of the issue outside a vote on the revised rules.

As for loss of privileges, Christie said he appreciates that student athletes who break rules could face additional consequences, but wanted it made clearer that exclusion from extracurricular activities, beyond suspension, could occur at administrators’ discretion, particularly for repeat offenders.

Freelance writer Linda Conner Lambeck, a reporter for more than four decades at the Connecticut Post and other Hearst publications, is a member of the Education Writers Association.