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FF-AP: Corporal Punishment, Student Conduct & Discipline

Conduct Standards

Students will be expected to conduct themselves in a manner fitting their age level and maturity, in a manner that will not impede on the orderly conduct of district schools, and will be expected to respect the rights of others on district property, including, but not limited to, district owned/leased/chartered vehicles, at school-sponsored events, and off-campus when student conduct has or is reasonably predicted to have a substantially disruptive effect on district operations and/or the educational environment.

Disciplinary Standards

Consequences for misconduct will be fair and developmentally appropriate in light of the circumstances.  The Superintendent shall develop age-appropriate disciplinary standards in consultation with principals and other applicable district personnel.  In addition, the Superintendent shall develop administrative regulations to assist administrators/their designees with investigating potential conduct violations.

Disciplinary policies, procedures, and guidelines will be identical in content district wide , including:

  • identical content for all district elementary schools;
  • identical content for all district middle schools;
  • identical content for all district high schools.

Disciplinary Standards for Special Education Students

District employees are required to comply with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act when responding to violations of student conduct standards by special education students.

Prohibited Disciplinary Actions

The Board recognizes that reasonable physical force may occasionally be necessary to guard the safety and well being of students or employees or to deliver a student to an administrator’s office; however, the use of corporal punishment, defined as the willful infliction of pain on a student, is not allowed in the West Fargo Public School District.  Corporal punishment does not include action taken by an employee for self-defense, protection of persons or property, obtaining possession of a weapon or other dangerous object, to quell a verbal disturbance, for the preservation of order, or pain or discomfort caused by athletic competition or recreational activities voluntarily engaged in by a student.

Complaints alleging that a district employee inflicted corporal punishment will be dealt with in accordance with school board policy on personnel complaints.

Disciplinary Authority

Regulations on disciplinary standards and investigation procedures shall delineate the degree of disciplinary authority that the district shall grant to teachers and principals.

Other school personnel shall be granted disciplinary authority by the Superintendent on a case-by-case basis based on the nature and scope of the employee’s duties.  Personnel granted such authority shall be required to comply with this policy and any disciplinary authority limits established by regulations.  Employees unauthorized to administer student discipline shall report student misconduct to the appropriate school authority.

Any district employee who acts outside the scope of his/her assigned level of disciplinary authority may be subject to disciplinary action, including but not limited to, discharge from/termination of employment in accordance with law and/or the negotiated agreement.

Adopted: 08/27/90
Reviewed: 22/22/22
Revised: 11/09/09
06/27/11