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Board committee advances new harassment and violence policies; adds safe-storage language
Summary
The policy committee presented a first reading of a new harassment-and-violence policy adopting the NSBA model and advanced a violence-prevention policy that now includes promotion of safe firearm storage.
The Duluth Public School District policy committee brought a series of policy updates to the board. Chair Loeffler Kemp reported the committee is deleting the district’s existing Policy 413 and replacing it with the National School Boards Association (NSBA) model policy on prohibiting harassment and violence. The first reading covered definitions, reporting procedures and a required annual review for state and federal compliance. Committee materials noted the policy references the Minnesota Human Rights Act and its 2023 revisions.
Committee members also presented Policy 05/25 (violence prevention) for a second (third overall) reading. The updated text reinforces prevention strategies and student supports and adds an explicit line urging the promotion of safe storage of guns “in accordance with the school board resolution for the safe storage of weapons.” Board members and staff discussed where the policy should be disseminated, and the committee asked staff to verify the harassment complaint form aligns to the new policy language and includes gender identity/expression as a protected characteristic in both the policy and the complaint form.
Assistant Superintendent Bonds and Human Resources staff were identified as implementation leads; Teresa Severance was noted as the district human-rights officer and the primary complaint designee for harassment reports. Staff confirmed Title IX-related complaints continue to follow a separate process handled by the district’s Title IX officer.
Ending paragraph: The policy package will return to committee for additional review and a subsequent board vote after the committee and staff harmonize the complaint form language and finalize cross-references.
