policy which adds bullying as a punishable

offense to Fayette County schools' student

conduct rules took effect July 1.

Fayette

County School Superintendent John DeCotis said

bullying another student is prohibited in

accordance with Georgia law. Bullying is defined

as "any willful attempt or threat to inflict

injury on another person, when accompanied by an

apparent present ability to do so; or any

intentional display of force such as would give

the victim reason to fear or expect immediate

bodily harm."

Disciplinary

action against any student grades six through 12

found bullying will be at the discretion of the

school principal and can range in severity from a

reprimand to a an out-of-school suspension,

according to DeCotis. Three repeated offenses can

result in the student being assigned to an

alternative education program, he added.

The

board also agreed to extend the amount of time a

student can be suspended from school from nine to

10 days.

DeCotis

said the revision was necessary to give school

administrators some leeway in scheduling a

tribunal hearing for the student offender. The

changes are part of the system's

Guidelines/Student Code of Conduct.

<!--

-----------