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Board hears detailed public hearing on proposed code of conduct updates
Summary
At a May 28 public hearing, Dr. Farrell walked the West Irondequoit board and community through proposed code of conduct revisions — expanding rules to prekindergarten, adding restorative-practices guidance and new definitions for AI harms and e-bikes — while board members pressed for clearer alignment with DASA and legal review on weapon and suspension language.
Dr. Farrell presented the West Irondequoit Central School District’s proposed code of conduct for the 2026–27 school year at a May 28 public hearing, highlighting changes she said were driven by committee work and recent state guidance. The presentation emphasized extending the code to prekindergarten classrooms, strengthening guidance and examples for restorative practices, and adding conduct definitions tied to emerging artificial-intelligence risks, including non-consensual explicit images (NCII) and deepfake content.
The presentation also introduced safety clarifications for personal mobility devices and e-bikes, described additional examples administrators can use to employ restorative approaches, and noted that committee feedback came from building administrators, parents, teachers and an internal DEI coalition. "Each year, New York education law requires districts to have a comprehensive code of conduct, and to review that code annually," Dr. Farrell said, explaining the committee’s priorities of legal compliance, alignment with the district mission, and promoting equity.
Board members raised detailed drafting and legal-alignment questions. Board member Kate Copeland challenged changes to harassment and discrimination definitions and asked why language that previously mirrored DASA (the state anti-bullying statute/regulation) had been altered. "That doesn't really make sense to me," Copeland said, pressing for clarity on why DASA-aligned wording was removed and asking whether protected classes and the phrase "material incident" were being handled differently. Dr. Farrell replied that the change was advised by the district attorney and staff agreed to seek a second opinion and further review with counsel.
Members also questioned revisions to the definition of weapons and minimum suspension periods. One board member noted the draft specified knives with blades longer than 2.5 inches, and asked whether that distinction created unintended consequences (for example, whether plastic lunch knives could be caught by the language). Dr. Farrell and other board members said the attorney had suggested the language but agreed to revisit the wording so the code treats items that present a safety risk appropriately rather than relying on a specific blade-length threshold.
Other editorial and drafting items surfaced, including inconsistent spelling/wording for "deepfake/deep fake," sentence structure for trespasser language, and suggested clarifications about what the phrase "due process" should state in the long-term suspension and superintendent hearing sections. Board members recommended more explicit explanation of the stepwise processes that lead to hearings (investigation, informal conferences, notices) so families understand their rights.
Dr. Farrell said the committee used multiple feedback channels, including administrator input and a Microsoft Forms survey of leadership, and acknowledged the draft would continue through another round of revisions with the Office of Public Information to finalize formatting and correct minor inconsistencies. She also noted the committee had intentionally included examples of proactive and responsive restorative practice approaches to give administrators more concrete guidance.
Next steps: the board will post the revised code for a 30-day public review and return to vote in June. Dr. Farrell and staff said they will take board comments back to counsel for clarification and clean up drafting and formatting before the public posting.
