Fulton City School District reviews DASA reporting, prevention and follow‑up

FULTON — District administrators on Tuesday told the Fulton City School District board they are refining how the district prevents, documents and responds to harassment and bullying under the Dignity for All Students Act (DASA).

Superintendent (Speaker 5) introduced the presentation and Sandy Sheldon, identified in the meeting as the district’s director of student support services, explained that DASA’s goal is to ensure schools are free from discrimination, harassment and bullying so students can “focus on the learning and not have fear for their emotional or psychological safety.” Sheldon said the district uses a ‘‘major/minor’’ guide to categorize behaviors and a team approach to investigations that emphasizes prevention, consistency and reteaching.

Sheldon and Danielle Quinn, described in the meeting as a school liaison at the junior high, outlined the district’s investigative steps: intake via a common reporting form, witness interviews, evidence gathering and determinations about whether an incident rises to a material incident requiring a code‑of‑conduct response. "We do go through a series of questions," one presenter said, describing the who/what/when/where approach, and adding that investigations can "spiderweb" into additional incidents as new information emerges.

The presenters said the district is moving toward a standardized Google reporting form to replace a printable paper form on the website; the online form will allow anonymous reports and route submissions to the DASA coordinator and relevant building administrator. They also described a mix of tier‑1 supports (SEL instruction, coaching and reteaching) and targeted follow‑up: check‑ins with both the student identified as the target and the alleged offender, and formal follow‑up when needed.

Board members asked whether investigators use a standard set of interview questions and how the district ensures consistency when multiple staff interview different students. Presenters said teams meet in advance to plan interviews and re‑interview as necessary, and they emphasized ongoing communication with families and building leaders. The board was told that the district is finalizing training scenarios tailored for extracurricular and athletic programs to help volunteers and coaches identify and respond to harassment and bullying.

The presentation included a discussion of measuring investigations versus substantiated material incidents: "We have many investigations," a presenter said, "but much fewer turn out to be material incidents." District staff said they are improving data tracking to compare investigations and material incident determinations.

The board did not take formal action on policy language at the meeting; presenters framed the Google form and calibration work as operational next steps and invited continued feedback from staff and board members.