Committee reviews draft bullying‑prevention form and recommended policy edits; no final vote

Beverly Public Schools staff presented a revised bullying‑prevention reporting and investigation packet and suggested edits to the district’s anti‑bullying policy at the Oct. 8 School Committee meeting. The packet is intended as an operational companion to the district policy and was reviewed with the district’s legal counsel.

District leaders proposed a multi‑page reporting form for complainants and a structured investigation checklist for administrators. Key recommended changes discussed at the meeting included clarifying that the law applies to students (rather than workplace protections for staff), specifying that only confidential student records be removed from plain view during an observation, and removing an internal 14‑school‑day requirement to complete investigations.

Superintendent Kenan McKenzie DeFranza said the district’s attorneys recommended not to impose a short statutory deadline for completion of an investigation because cases can be complex and ongoing; the district will provide parents with updates but did not want to bind investigators to a fixed 14‑day window. The proposed packet also includes an individual safety plan template the district would provide to students determined to be targets of bullying.

Committee members asked for a redline (track‑changes) version that shows the difference between the current policy and the attorneys’ edits. The superintendent said the redline includes attorney‑client comments and will be distributed to the committee in a manner that preserves any privileged material, with a cleaned side‑by‑side version for public review at the next meeting.

No final vote was taken; staff said they will bring a revised policy and the proposed reporting packet back for a second reading and formal action.