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14 Page Repoit



!"#$%$& ( This iepoit contains examples of statements fiom stuuents
that contain offensive language. If you aie consiueiing shaiing this with
chiluien, it is iecommenueu paients ieau the iepoit fiist in its entiiety.




















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2


%3 %-1456*71.5-
!"#$%$& ( This iepoit contains examples of statements fiom stuuents that contain offensive
language. If you aie consiueiing shaiing this with youi chilu chiluien, it is iecommenueu paients
ieau the iepoit fiist in its entiiety.
The Authoi Baseu this Repoit on the Following Infoimation:
In 0ctobei 2u1S I spent a week conuucting focus gioups with Niuule anu Bigh school stuuents,
paients, teacheis, auministiatois anu otheis to assess the social climate ielating to bias,
haiassment anu bullying at the miuule anu high schools in Coeui u'Alene, Iuaho.
Buiing the week I conuucteu S4 focus gioups with 294 stuuents, two focus gioups with 42
paients, two focus gioups with appioximately one hunuieu teacheis, one focus gioup with twelve
piincipals anu othei school auministiatois, anu one focus gioup with seven School Resouice
0fficeis (SR0s). In total ovei 4Su people attenueu the focus gioups.
In each school I conuucteu between two anu seven focus gioups. Each gioup lasteu appioximately
one houi. The focus gioups weie stiuctuieu to incluue stuuents who shaieu an impoitant tiait
such as genuei, iace anu giaue level. I stiuctuie the gioups in this way because, in my expeiience,
stuuents aie fai moie comfoitable anu canuiu in talking about ceitain issues if they aie with
otheis fiom the same gioup. Foi example, stuuents of coloi aie moie willing to uiscuss issues of
iacial bias when they aie in a gioup with othei stuuents of coloi. In each focus gioup stuuents
uiscusseu theii views anu expeiiences ielating to school climate, both about the issues they hau in
common with those in the gioup but also about issues affecting otheis.
8*,9.1,1.:; #;2;,470 5- <.,2= >;/4,6.-/ ?,-/*,/;=
),4,22+;-1= @;,2.-/ ,-6 <*99A.-/

Foi ovei twenty yeais I have engageu in stuuies of bias, haiassment, bullying anu violence thiough
focus gioups anu inteiviews. Qualitative ieseaich baseu on inteiviews anu focus gioups is an
accepteu foim of social science ieseaich. Quantitative ieseaich thiough suiveys anu
questionnaiies is the othei most common foim of ieseaich on issues of social climate. Both
appioaches aie accepteu within social science. Both appioaches have theii benefits anu theii
limitations. Quantitative ieseaich can pioviue an accuiate pictuie of the fiequency of uiffeient
types of conuuct (such as stuuents' use of uegiauing language on uiffeient topics) but has
uifficulty pioviuing a viviu pictuie of eithei the content of bias anu haiassment oi the impact of
bias on those who aie taigeteu. Qualitative ieseaich pioviues a viviu pictuie of bias anu its impact
but cannot measuie the fiequency of inciuents with the same accuiacy as suivey uata.

I use qualitative ieseaich because I finu most people appieciate, value anu iemembei the accounts
tolu by focus gioup paiticipants. Noieovei, some people have a uifficult time unueistanuing oi
iecalling statistical uata fiom quantitative ieseaich.



3

Seveial yeais ago I conuucteu scoies of focus gioups in one school system with twenty- eight
elementaiy, miuule anu seconuaiy schools. At the same time a ieseaichei useu suiveys anu
questionnaiies in conuucting quantitative ieseaich. Not suipiisingly (but ieassuiingly to us both),
we ieacheu similai conclusions about the level anu content of bias anu haiassment among
stuuents in the schools.

&4;,1;4 B5-2.21;-7A C;42;2 >.DD;4;-7;2

In my woik in schools acioss the 0niteu States anu in Euiope I see fai gieatei consistency in the
issues faceu by schools (fiom Coeui u'Alene to Belfast, Noithein Iielanu, to affluent subuiban
school in New Englanu, to small iuial schools in Naine) than I see uiffeiences.



%%3 E.669; F705592
I conuucteu a total of thiiteen focus gioups with 147 stuuents in Canfielu Niuule School, Lakes
Nagnet Niuule School anu Wooulanu Niuule School.
"3 <.,2= >;/4,6.-/ ?,-/*,/;= ),4,22+;-1 ,-6 <*99A.-/
1. uenuei
Both boys anu giils uesciibeu fiequent use by boys of sexually uegiauing language about giils in
geneial anu also towaiu paiticulai giils. Stuuents also iepoiteu that giils often use some of the
same woius towaiu othei giils. uiils also saiu that they see giils excluuing specific giils fiom a
gioup of fiienus in school oi on social meuia. Boys anu giils have seen many examples of
inappiopiiate touching of giils by boys.
- "The boys say you aie such a slut anu bitch, go kill youiself, skank, c#nt."
- "A boy huggeu me fiom behinu. Be sliu his hanus towaius my ciotch. I tiieu to wiggle out of
his aims but he was holuing me so haiu I coulun't get him off."
uiils uesciibeu how this behavioi affecteu them emotionally.
- "Knowing that when I go to school eveiy uay I am going to see things like that makes me feel
scaieu anu huit. They have no iuea what it is like to be a giil at this age."


Examples of stuuent comments aie bulleteu anu in "quotations" - the only changes maue to the
stuuent comments aie ieuacteu pieces of infoimation within a statement that may iuentify the
stuuent oi specific situation.
4
2. Race
Stuuents heai iacial sluis anu steieotypes fiequently about black people, Asians anu Bispanics.
They heai sluis anu steieotypes about Native Ameiicans with less fiequency. In nine focus gioups
in the thiee miuule schools 81 of the 96 stuuents heai the woiu "niggei" saiu by white stuuents.
- "Playing soccei a kiu saiu get out of my way black ass anu they shoveu a stuuent to the giounu."
- "An Asian fiienu of mine was bullieu last yeai. Be was tolu to 'go home' anu was calleu a
wonton."
Stuuents of coloi wiote about the impact of iacial bias.
- "I fake being sick sometimes just so I uon't have to heai those woius. It is haiu anu I think that I
will be veiy sau if I heai any of the woius again."
White stuuents wiote about how they felt about heaiing iacial bias at school.
- "When people say mean things about black people, I feel like they shoulun't because we aie all
humans."
S. Religion

Stuuents heai negative comments, steieotypes anu jokes about people who belong to uiffeient
ieligions. The gieatest numbei of these comments is about }ews anu paiticulaily among some 8th
giaue classes. Stuuents heai comments about Noimons anu Nuslims with some fiequency.
Comments about Chiistians, atheists anu }ehovah's Witnesses aie heaiu least often.

- "Someone saiu to a }ewish stuuent, it's youi fault that }esus uieu."

- "Stuuents give the Nazi salute."

- "0ne uay a peison maue fun of a Chiistian because he saiu, I uon't believe in uou but if you
believe in him anu that maue up faiiy tail stuff. Why aien't you in a mental class iight now."

4. Bisability

Stuuents uesciibeu the use of negative language about kius with uisabilities anu at times the use of
this language uiiectly to stuuents with uisabilities. Stuuents also uesciibe seeing stuuents pietenu
to be fiienus with stuuents with uisabilities foi the puipose of making fun of them. 6u of the 98
stuuents in the nine focus gioups saiu they hau seen stuuents pietenu to be fiienus with uisableu
stuuents.

- "0ne of my fiienus pietenueu to be fiienus with a uisableu kiu. When the uisableu stuuent left,
she mimickeu the kiu's limp."

- "I saw a boy go up to someone with a uisability anu flat out tell them they weie ietaiueu. It
makes me feel bau foi them."

5
Stuuents also uesciibeu positive inteiaction between stuuents & stuuents who have uisabilities.
- "Ny fiienu offeieu to help this woman with hei uisableu kiu foi the uay."

- "I saw a boy help a uisableu peison to lunch."

S. Sexual 0iientation

Stuuents fiequently heai uegiauing woius about lesbian, gay anu bisexual people, incluuing that's
so gay, faggot, queei, homo, lesbo anu uyke. Stuuents also heai comments that iefei to oi invoke
ieligion, such as "gays aie going to hell" anu "uou uoesn't appiove of gays."

- "Theie was a boy who was gay. All his fiienus weie female. Be was talkeu about behinu his back
anu to his face. Be cut himself on the wiists anu aims."

Stuuents wiote about how uegiauing woius about gay, lesbian & bisexual people make them feel.

- "It uoesn't make me feel goou because I have ielatives who aie gay."

6. Weight anu Size

Stuuents heai many woius about stuuents who weigh moie than otheis anu also those who weigh
less: giant, toothpick, tubby, Sasquatch, fat, laiu a**, anu shut up anu go eat Twinkies.

- "A giil is bullieu by people who call hei whale anu othei names - the bullying ieally biings hei
uown."

- "A boy in PE was calleu fat when we weie iunning. Be was walking anu people tiieu to push
him into a iun but he fell uown. Eveiybouy laugheu."

7. Social Neuia

A numbei of stuuents see inappiopiiate anu huitful use of social meuia. A significant poition of
these inciuents aie taigeteu at giils, both by boys anu by othei giils.

- "Somebouy tolu this giil that she was ugly anu shoulu hang heiself; so she cut hei wiists."

- "A giil put a pictuie of a whale anu a pig on this giil's Facebook page anu saiu, these aie youi
sisteis."

8. Socio-Economic Status

Stuuents talkeu anu wiote about economic bias both towaiu people with less money anu people
with moie money.

- "People say about my family; how aie you affoiuing lunch. Why aie you on fiee lunch. I felt
embaiiasseu. Ny uau still uoesn't have a job."

6
- "I have been bullieu because my family has a house, a conuo anu a houseboat."

9. Social 0utcasts

Stuuent uesciibeu the chaiacteiistics of stuuents who aie "social outcasts:" smait, pooi, not as
smait, stuuents who tiy so haiu to fit in that they aie annoying, Emos, people who expiess
themselves uiffeiently, kius who have bau teeth, big eais oi othei physical uiffeiences.

- "Somebouy who is uiffeient. People spieau iumois about them anu make up jokes that woulu
ieally huit the peison they aie about. People quit talking to that peison anu tell otheis not to
talk to them."

- "People who like someone of the same sex oi aie bisexual aie consiueieu outcasts because they
aie uiffeient. It is something they uon't see eveiy uay."

<3 %+G,71 5D <.,2 ,-6 >;/4,6.-/ ?,-/*,/; 5- F1*6;-12
The stuuents wiote about the impact of bias, uegiauing language, exclusion, teasing anu bullying.

- "Theie is a kiu who is mentally uisableu so people laugh at him. Be unueistanus enough anu
knows that people aie laughing. Be is always sau."

- "Ny fiienu was always being calleu zit face, sh*t heau, slut, c#nt. She woulu get physically beaten
up. She went into a majoi uepiession anu hei giaues uioppeu. Bei self-esteem went uown too."

B3 H52.1.:; "71.5-2 IA F1*6;-12
Coeui u'Alene miuule school stuuents aie speaking up anu inteivening on behalf of classmates.

- "Theie is this shy giil on my bus. Someone pusheu hei off a seat anu I tolu them to leave hei
alone anu saveu hei my seat while I went anu sat with my fiienu."

- 0ne time a giil saiu; "Bey. That is not veiy nice." She saiu to tieat people how you want to be
tieateu. She askeu "Woulu you like me to uo that to you." anu they stoppeu.

>3 @;,70;42
Stuuents wiote about teacheis cieating a iespectful school climate.

- "Nis. ___ is veiy goou at |uealing with bullyingj because she takes it veiy seiiously. She gives
auvice anu tells you how to pievent it."

- "Ny teachei is veiy gieat because he is always finuing new ways to pievent bullying. Be tells us
we can come to him whenevei we neeu. I came to him this yeai because I knew I coulu tiust
him."





7


%%%3 )./0 F705592
I conuucteu thiiteen focus gioups with a total of 144 stuuents at Coeui u'Alene, Lake City anu
ventuie high schools.

"3 <.,2= >;/4,6.-/ ?,-/*,/;= ),4,22+;-1 ,-6 <*99A.-/

1. Sexually Begiauing Language anu Conuuct 0seu by Boys

Stuuents heai boys say the following woius: slut, whoie, c*nt, ho, iatchet, skank, stupiu, ugly anu
weak. Stuuents heai these woius spoken geneially about giils. They also heai these woius about
anu at times saiu uiiectly to a paiticulai giil. Stuuents see boys touch oi slap giils' butts anu also,
but with less fiequency, giils' bieasts. A numbei of stuuents saiu that they hau seen boys push a
giil up against a lockei in a way that was scaiy.

- "A guy tolu eveiyone he hau slept with this giil anu eveiyone believeu it. It was haiu foi hei to
get eveiyone to change theii minus. It affecteu hei ielationship with hei boyfiienu anu hei guy
fiienus."

- "Theie was a giil who was being pusheu. She was scaieu but I stoppeu it. I see ass oi boob
giabbing anu flicking vaginas."

uiils wiote about the impact of this language anu touching.

- "I woulu see guys giab giils' butts, boobs anu eveiything. It makes you feel uegiaueu, put uown
anu like you aie just a piece of meat."

- "Coming to school seeing anu heaiing ueiogatoiy woius feels like the woist thing because so
many people act like it is noimal."

2. Race

Stuuents wiote about iacial sluis, jokes anu comments. They heai moie comments about Afiican
Ameiicans than about Asians anu Bispanics.

- "Someone wiote niggei in my book touay. I am biiacial."

- "Bispanics aie uiug uealeis."

Stuuents of coloi wiote about the impact of iacial bias.

- "I know someone who has been seveiely uepiesseu because she uoesn't want to be seen as a
steieotype. She wants to be seen foi heiself, not the coloi of hei skin."

8
- "Knowing that theie aie people who use those jokes anu woius huits. Some kius just take it too
fai anu it huits. It makes you feel unwanteu anu because you aie uiffeient, theie is something
wiong with you."

S. Religion

Stuuents uesciibe comments about }ews anu also about Noimons.

- "}ews aie saiu to iip you off. Bon't }ew me."

- "Noimons aie oveipopulating. They neeu to just uie."

4. Bisability

Nany stuuents see classmates who pietenu to be fiienus with someone with a uisability but ieally
aie tiying to make fun of oi humiliate the uisableu stuuent. Stuuents heai the woiu ietaiu anu
also Bowns, as a shoiteneu veision of Bown's synuiome.

- "Nentally uisableu kius aie uigeu by some of the football playeis anu populai kius to uo funny
things like uance oi tell stoiies that exploit theii uisability. This happens fiequently at lunch."

- "Aftei lunch one uay a populai kiu shouluei checkeu a uisableu kiu anu he fell on the giounu."

Stuuents also uiscusseu positive actions by stuuents towaiu stuuents with uisabilities.

- "Sometimes if someone has a uisability othei people tieat them with kinuness. They will use
manneis anu talk to them anu laugh with them. Sometimes I see uisableu kius getting high fives
fiom people in the hall oi at lunch. Also, people will say hello to them anu tell them to have a
goou uay."

S. Sexual 0iientation

Stuuents fiequently, many of them uaily, heai negative woius about gays anu lesbians: that's so
gay, faggot, queei, homo, lesbo anu uyke. In a focus gioup with stuuent mentois eveiyone saiu that
they woulu be woiiieu about the emotional safety of a fiienu who came out as gay oi lesbian in
theii high school.

- "Theie was a gay stuuent last yeai. Almost eveiybouy calleu him a fag eveiy uay."

- "A giil came out that she was gay. She lost all of hei fiienus anu was shunneu fiom hei chuich."

6. Weight anu Size

Stuuents often, many of them uaily, heai negative woius about people who aie consiueieu laige:
fat, cow, tank, hippo, obese anu husky. Stuuents wiote about comments oi inciuents in theii
schools.

- "Buue, that chick cannot even fit in the uesk." The giil oveiheaiu the stuuent say it about heiself.
9

- "Boys make comments about how giils look anoiexic because they aie skinny oi how they have
iolls because they aie chubby. 0i theii bieast size anu butt shape gets commenteu on."

7. 0thei Kinus of Begiauing Language, Bias, Baiassment anu Bullying

F57.,9 E;6.,

uiils commenteu that uegiauing messages on social meuia weie a paiticulaily seiious pioblem
between giils. Stuuents have seen messages like: go kill youiself, go to hell you ugly piece of sh*t.

- "When I bioke up with my boyfiienu his new giil fiienu sent me an email saying, "you aie a losei
anu shoulu kill youiself."

- "I was cybei bullieu when I was askeu about my faith. A giil messageu me 'go fu*k youiself'."

F57.5JK75-5+.7 F1,1*2

Stuuents uesciibe negative comments about whethei ceitain stuuents came fiom pooi oi well off
families.

- "If you weai nice clothes people will call you stuck up anu snotty."

- "I was tolu that I wasn't goou enough because my family uiun't have as much money as theii
families."

F57.,9 L*17,212

- "Theie is always this one kiu who sits alone outsiue school. I think he is an outcast anu has no
fiienus."

- "She was a social outcast. She sat alone anu nevei talkeu because she was socially awkwaiu anu
eveiyone maue fun of hei. She uioppeu out."

<3 %+G,71 5D <.,2 ,-6 >;/4,6.-/ ?,-/*,/; 5- F1*6;-12
Stuuents wiote about the impact of bias, haiassment anu bullying on themselves oi someone they
know.

- "I know a giil who was constantly calleu a slut anu a whoie. She went home eveiy night anu
ciieu. She eventually stoppeu coming to school because I think she felt like she was a taiget foi
haiassment. She faileu all of hei classes anu feels like she has faileu at life because of how othei
people have tieateu hei."

- Ny fiienu staiteu cutting heiself because of kius at school talking about hei iace anu wheie she
came fiom. This has put hei in uepiession anu causeu hei to become a uiffeient peison
completely. I talk to this giil eveiy time I see hei to make suie she knows that at last someone is
theie foi hei who caies."

10
- "I know a boy who was constantly maue fun of because they weie biggei anu hau many iumois
spieau about them. People woulu say he was gay even though he was not. The boy eventually
staiteu believing these iumois anu things that weie saiu about him. To cope with the pain he
woulu tiy to cut himself anu eat out because of his emotions."

B3 H52.1.:; "71.5-2
Stuuents uesciibeu positive inciuents of stuuents speaking up foi iespect anu civility.

- "Theie is one stuuent I've known since my fieshman yeai who has a uisability. Eveiyone has
tieateu him with a complete iespect anu we all help him out uuiing the classes we have with him
anu at lunch. We basically make him feel noimal."

- "Some boy was walking in the hallway anu saw a giil getting calleu a iacial name. Be tolu the
bully to knock it off anu he helpeu to cheei that giil up."

>3 @;,70;42
Stuuents wiote about teacheis who woik to cieate safe anu iespectful schools.

- A teachei saiu, "We will nevei uowngiaue anyone in this class."

- I have hau teacheis that absolutely will not stanu foi any kinu of bullying. They uo a goou job.

- Niss ___ tolu the whole class a peisonal stoiy to show that iace, as a piejuuice is a ieal pioblem.

%C3 "6*91 M57*2 &45*G2
I met with two gioups of teacheis, one fiom the miuule schools anu the othei fiom the high
schools. I met with eight piincipals anu assistant piincipals fiom elementaiy, miuule anu high
schools.

I met with seven School Resouice 0fficeis. The SR0s iuentifieu the most significant issues of
uegiauing language, haiassment anu bullying in the use oi abuse of social meuia.

I helu two voluntaiy paient infoimation sessions anu met with twelve paients of high school
stuuents anu thiity paients of miuule school stuuents.

All of the above auult gioups pioviueu impoitant insights into issues of bias anu haiassment anu
the baiiieis that exist to changing school cultuie.

Coeui u'Alene is veiy foitunate to have teacheis, paients, auministiatois anu School Resouice
0fficeis who aie committeu to cieating schools that aie as safe anu iespectful as possible. Theii
commitment is a ciitically impoitant asset foi ieuucing uegiauing language anu empoweiing
stuuents to become leaueis.




11
C3 B5-79*2.5-2 ,-6 #;75++;-6,1.5-2

This iepoit uetails seiious issues with bias, uegiauing language anu conuuct, haiassment anu
bullying. Notwithstanuing this uata, I am optimistic about the ability of the Coeui u'Alene's miuule
anu high schools to cieate schools, which aie as safe anu iespectful foi eveiy chilu as is possible.
The ieasons foi my optimism aie many.

- The Supeiintenuent anu othei cential office auministiatois have shown a iemaikably high
level of commitment to leaining what issues exist anu to taking steps to auuiess those issues.
Seveial of these steps will begin in eaily Febiuaiy when I ietuin to Coeui u'Alene.

- The school piincipals anu theii key staff have uemonstiateu a similai high level of
commitment to auuiessing issues of bias, haiassment anu bulling.

- The quality of the teacheis in the miuule anu high schools was eviuent fiom the significant
numbei of instances uesciibeu by stuuents of teacheis who weie uoing an excellent job of
auuiessing bias, haiassment anu bullying. Noieovei, in the laige focus gioup sessions with
teacheis they uemonstiateu theii commitment to piotecting the physical anu emotional
safety of stuuents anu a keen analysis of the baiiieis to effective iesponse anu pievention.

- The paients who attenueu the two evening meetings similaily weie thoughtful anu piobing
in theii iuentification of baiiieis.

The foui ieasons which I have uesciibeu above aie necessaiy components to changing the social
cultuie of schools. But suppoit fiom auults is not sufficient to accomplish that change alone.

Schools cannot succeeu in significantly impioving iesponse anu pievention without paitneiing
with stuuents. The most impoitant ieason foi this is that the vast majoiity of inciuents uesciibeu
in this iepoit occuiieu outsiue of the eyesight oi heaiing of auults. Empoweiing stuuents to speak
up on behalf of othei stuuents who aie taigeteu is ciitical anu essential to any successful effoit to
iesponu to anu pievent bias, haiassment anu bullying.

I am optimistic about the ability of Coeui u'Alene miuule anu high schools to become a uistiict that
otheis will point to as a mouel foi iesponse anu pievention. This optimism is iooteu in the
qualities I saw in the 294 stuuents I met with. Below aie some of those qualities.

- Stuuents in many focus gioups uesciibeu theii feeling of uisgust at how stuuents fiom othei
gioups weie being tieateu. Stuuents uesciibeu theii ieactions to the taigeting of uisableu
stuuents, stuuents of coloi, }ewish stuuents, anu gay, lesbian anu bisexual stuuents.

- Stuuents' empathy foi the taigets of bias, haiassment anu bullying was iemaikably high. The
ability of stuuents to wiite about the impact of bias on theii classmates was impiessive.

- Stuuents' uesciiptions of themselves anu otheis speaking up foi taigeteu stuuents anu
iespectfully confionting those who use uegiauing language anu conuuct aie equally
impiessive.

12
- Nost stuuents have faith in theii teacheis. That so many stuuents weie able to uesciibe
positive actions by teacheis in iesponse anu pievention is both a stiong enuoisement of the
quality of Coeui u'Alene's faculty anu also a stiong sign that stuuents aie thoughtful anu
positive about theii schools.

- Stuuents while being oveiall positive about theii teacheis weie able to iuentify
paiticulai aieas that conceineu them. Stuuent uesciibeu theii peiception that some
teacheis favoi giils ovei boys, give athletes auvantages in class, anu uo not always
iesponu effectively to iacial issues that aiise in class. These peiceptions uiu not leau
stuuents to conuemn faculty as a whole. It takes thoughtful anu intelligent stuuents to
engage in such uisceining analysis.

Lastly, I enjoyeu Coeui u'Alene's miuule anu high school stuuents. They took a keen inteiest in the
focus gioups anu moie impoitantly in being pait of a piocess that coulu inciease the physical anu
emotional safety of stuuents. The iesponses of miuule school stuuents to my question of whethei
the focus gioups weie a goou iuea weie oveiwhelmingly positive foi one ieason, that the focus
gioups can help stuuents, teacheis anu auministiatois ieuuce bias, haiassment anu bullying.

%22*;2 5D B5-7;4-

- &;-6;4 J &.492
- Begiauing Language - The use by boys of sexually uegiauing language about anu towaiu giils
is at a high level in both high schools anu miuule schools.
- Inappiopiiate Touching - The use by boys towaiu giils of inappiopiiate sexual touching is at
a high level in both miuule anu high schools. A numbei of these inciuents appeai to involve
ciiminal sexual assault oi physical assault.

- &;-6;4 J <5A2
Boys in both miuule anu high schools peiceive that teacheis aie favoiing giils both in imposing
uiscipline anu in iecognizing stuuents uuiing class instiuction.

- #,7;
The level of use by white stuuents in miuule anu high school of iacial sluis, steieotypes anu jokes
is high, paiticulaily comments about black people.

- #;9./.5-
The use by stuuents of uegiauing comments, jokes anu steieotypes, paiticulaily in miuule schools,
is high.

- >.2,I.9.1A
The level of uegiauing language in miuule anu high schools expiesseu uiiectly to uisableu stuuents
is high.

- F;N*,9 L4.;-1,1.5-
The use of language that is uegiauing to oi about people who aie lesbian, gay anu bisexual is
wiuespieau in miuule anu high schools.


13
- F57.,9 E;6.,
The use of social meuia in uistuibing anu huitful ways, paiticulaily in miuule schools, is high.

- F57.5JK75-5+.7 F1,1*2
Stuuents in miuule anu high schools heai fiequent negative comments about the socio-economic
status of otheis, both because theii families have little money anu because theii families aie
affluent.

- <56A F.O;
The use of uegiauing language about stuuents who aie laigei oi weigh moie than otheis is
common in both miuule anu high school.

- %+G,71 5D <.,2 ,-6 >;/4,6.-/ ?,-/*,/;
Stuuents in miuule anu high schools wiote many uesciiptions of the uestiuctive impact of bias anu
uegiauing language anu conuuct. This conuuct negatively affects the emotional well being of
stuuents anu theii ability to succeeu acauemically.


#;75++;-6,1.5-2

P3 H;;4 ?;,6;420.G H45/4,+2 D54 F1*6;-12

Empoweiing stuuents to move fiom being passive bystanueis of bias anu uegiauing language to
speaking up about the impoitance of civility anu iespect is a ciitical step in changing school
climate. I iecommenu two appioaches to incieasing peei leaueiship, both of which will begin
when I am in Coeui u'Alene in the fiist week in Febiuaiy.
a. Stuuent Leaueiship Woikshops
Tiaining euucatois anu community membeis to leau half-uay oi full-uay peei leaueiship
woikshops is paiticulaily effective because it builu the inteinal capacity within the school uistiict
to continue this woik fiom yeai to yeai.
b. Respect Teams
Cieating teams in each miuule anu high school of stuuents who caie about the social climate of
theii schools is an effective way to hainess stuuent leaueiship, cieativity anu piojects to assist in
cieating as iespectful climate as possible.

Q3 B5-D9.71 #;259*1.5- >.,95/*;2

The high schools shoulu implement foi this yeai anuoi next school yeai a piogiam of conflict
iesolution uialogues ielating to genuei, iace anu ieligion.

R3 KDD5412 15 #;6*7; 10; %+G,71 5D <.,2 ,-6 >;/4,6.-/ ?,-/*,/;

The miuule anu high schools shoulu uevelop a piogiam, in cooiuination with the Respect Teams,
to inciease the positive messages given to stuuents about the gioups that aie the taiget of
uegiauing language anu steieotypes.



14
S3 !54T205G2 D54 M,7*91A ,-6 F1,DD 5- #;2G5-2; ,-6 H4;:;-1.5-

Faculty shoulu be pioviueu with half-uay woikshops on skills anu stiategies foi iesponuing to
bias, uegiauing language anu haiassment both in the hallways anu in the classiooms.

U3 "664;22.-/ %-,GG54G4.,1; @5*70.-/

The School Bepaitment anu the Police Bepaitment shoulu woik togethei to uevelop stiategies to
inciease the sanctions foi inappiopiiate touching anu at the same time to euucate boys anu giils
about both the haim of this conuuct anu the laws ielating to assault anu sexual assault.

V3 "664;22.-/ "-1.JW;X.20 <.,2 ,-6 >;/4,6.-/ ?,-/*,/;

The School Bistiict anu the miuule schools shoulu fuithei examine the possible ioots of significant
levels of anti-}ewish language anu conuuct in miuule schools. The teaching of the Bolocaust anu
othei significant woilu events aie taught in miuule school cuiiiculum may piesent oppoitunities
foi ieuucing this language.

(enu of iepoit page 14 of 14)