Harrisonburg board advances Student Conduct policy on first reading after debate over explicit hate-speech language

HARRISONBURG, Va. — The Harrisonburg City School Board voted Sept. 2 to advance Policy 4-12, Student Conduct, on its first reading after members debated whether the policy should explicitly include the words "hate speech." The vote passed by voice, and staff said they will clarify wording before final adoption.

Dr. Cohen raised the concern during the board—s first look at the two-and-a-half page redline of 4-12. "I went to that policy as well... the suggestion of the panel members of that group were that literally the words hate speech should be part of any anti-discrimination policy that is made," he said, asking whether the draft currently subsumes hate speech under general harassment language.

A policy presenter said the district maintains a separate harassment and discrimination policy and that 4-12 references that policy; staff and board members agreed it would be appropriate to make the coverage explicit — either by adding the term to 4-12 or by ensuring Policy 4-37 clearly states the scope. The presenter also noted the draft adds cyberbullying to the student-conduct provisions.

Board members identified minor wording and punctuation issues in the draft and asked staff to tidy the language before the next reading. "It reads awkwardly," one board member said of a clause that currently reads as if the superintendent had "issued" the policy; staff agreed to reword that passage.

The board moved and approved the policy on first reading; the presenter said the changes align with guidance from the Virginia School Boards Association and that staff will return with edits that explicitly address the hate-speech question.

The board did not take a final vote to adopt the policy; next steps are for staff to revise the draft language and present it for a subsequent reading and final action.