Waunakee board approves revised harassment policy after debate over separate anti‑hate‑speech rule

The Waunakee Community School District board voted to approve a revised harassment policy (board policy 411/411‑1) at its regular meeting after several months of drafting, public comment from staff and students, and discussion about how the policy would interact with athletics rules.

The policy change grew out of work that began last November to fold an anti‑hate‑speech component into the district’s harassment policy rather than keep it as a stand‑alone rule. Gina Pagel, an Arboretum teacher, told the board she appreciated the district’s move to address harmful language but said students she and others heard from “thought it would speak more firmly if the harassment policy was a separate policy as it already existed.”

Board members and administrators described the process as collaborative. Dr. Brown, the district superintendent (first name not specified in the meeting),…