LEA Gangs in Schools Policies:
Seattle Public Schools
It is the policy of the Seattle School Board that there shall be no tolerance for behavior and activities promoting gangs or hate groups in schools, at school activities, or on property of Seattle Public Schools.
This policy is applicable to all District educational and non-educational programs and activities, including District/school sponsored extracurricular activities, athletic and social events, transportation and other services, and buildings, grounds, and property.
Cross-references: D 70.00 Student Conduct
D 71.00 Student Discipline
D 72.00 Written Student Discipline Rules
D 78.00 School-Police Relations
D 80.00 Student Possession of Weapons
D 81.00 Weapons Prohibition
D 82.00 Intervention for Serious Offenses Prior to Readmittance to Regular Schools
D 83.00 Restitution
D 84.00 Disciplinary Appeals Council
References: RCW 28A.600.040 Pupils to Comply with Rules and Regulations
RCW 28A.600.455 Gang Activity – Suspension or Expulsion
Procedural References:
o Seattle Public Schools Task Force on Weapons – Recommendations of June 1992,
o Basic Rules of Seattle Public Schools,
o Code of Prohibited Conduct,
o Student Rights & Responsibilities,
o The Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act and its state and federal implementing legislations, and
o Discipline procedures at:
Adopted: September 1992 Revised: September 2007 Former Code: H25.00; H27.00
Rio Rancho(CA) Public Schools –
The Board recognizes that the harm done by the presence and activities of gangs in the public
schools exceeds the immediate consequences of such activities such as violence and destruction
of property. Gang activities also create an atmosphere of intimidation in the entire school
community. Both the immediate consequences of gang activity and the secondary effects are
disruptive and obstructive of the process of education and school activities.
It is therefore the policy of the Board of Education that gangs and gang activities are prohibited
in the Rio Rancho Public Schools, according to the following:
A. Definition: For purposes of this policy a "gang" is any group of two or more persons
whose purposes include the commission of illegal acts, or acts in violation of disciplinary rules
of the school district. ““Gang related activity”” includes but is not limited to the prohibited
conduct set forth below.
B. Prohibitions: No student on or about school property or at any school activity shall:
1. Wear, possess, use, distribute, display, or sell any clothing, jewelry, emblem, badge,
symbol, sign or other items that evidences or reflects membership in or affiliation with
any gang;
2. Engage in any act, either verbal or nonverbal, including gestures or handshakes,
showing membership or affiliation with any gang.
3. Engage in any act in furtherance of the interests of any gang or gang activity,
including, but not limited to:
a. soliciting membership in, or affiliation with, any gang;
b. soliciting any person to pay for "protection," or threatening any person, explicitly or implicitly, with violence or with any other illegal or prohibited act;
c. painting, writing, or otherwise inscribing gang-related graffiti, messages, symbols or signs, on school property;
d. engaging in violence, extortion, or any other illegal act or other violation of school policy;
e. soliciting any person to engage in physical violence against any other person.
C. Application and Enforcement:
1. In determining, as part of the application and enforcement of this policy, whether acts, conduct, or activities are gang related, school officials are encouraged to exercise
discretion and judgment based upon current circumstances in their schools,
neighborhoods, and areas.
2. The removal of gang-related graffiti shall be a priority in maintenance of school
property. All such graffiti on school property shall be removed or covered within
twenty-four (24) hours of its first appearance to school officials, or as soon thereafter as possible, unless additional time is needed to obtain replacements for damaged items.
3. School officials should also encourage private property owners to promptly remove or cover gang-related graffiti on private property in school neighborhoods.
4. School officials are strongly encouraged to work closely with local law enforcement
officials in controlling gang-related activities. Local law enforcement can provide
school officials with information regarding gang-related activities in the area,
including names and characteristics of local gangs.
5. The superintendent, in consultation with the appropriate building principals, should report instances of gang-related criminal acts or acts of serious disruption to local law enforcement authorities for further action.
D. Violations of Policy: Students who violate this policy shall be subject to the full range of school disciplinary measures, in addition to applicable criminal and civil penalties.
Wake County Schools –
Gang and Gang Related Activities – The WCPSS does not support or condone gang membership or gang activity. The Superintendent/designee shall regularly consult with law enforcement officials to identify gang-related items, symbols and behaviors, and provide each principal withthis information.
No student shall commit any act that furthers gangs or gang-related activities. A gang is any ongoing organization, association, or group of three or more persons, whether formal or
informal, having as one of its primary activities the commission of criminal acts, or the
purposeful violation of any WCPSS policy, and having a common name or common identifying
sign, colors or symbols. Conduct prohibited by this policy includes:
A. Wearing, possessing, using, distributing, displaying, or selling any clothing, jewelry,
emblems, badges, symbols, signs, visible tattoos and body markings, or other items, or
being in possession of literature that shows affiliation with a gang, or is evidence of
membership or affiliation in any gang or that promotes gang affiliation;
B. Communicating either verbally or non-verbally (gestures, handshakes, slogans, drawings,
etc.), to convey membership affiliation in any gang or that promotes gang affiliation;
C. Tagging, or otherwise defacing school or personal property with gang or gang-related
symbols or slogans;
D. Requiring payment of protection, money or insurance, or otherwise intimidating or
threatening any person related to gang activity;
E. Inciting other students to intimidate or to act with physical violence upon any other
person related to gang activity;
F. Soliciting others for gang membership;
G. Conspiring to commit any violation of this policy or committing or conspiring to commit
any other illegal act or other violation of school district policies that relates to gang
activity.
Before being suspended for a first offense of wearing gang-related attire (when not involved in
any other kind of gang-related activity or behavior), a student may receive a warning and be
allowed to immediately change or remove the attire if the school administration determines that
the student did not intend the attire to show gang affiliation. Reference policy 6400 for
disciplinary action.
VISTA (CA) UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
BOARD POLICY NO. 5136: GANGS
The Board of Trustees desires to keep district schools free from the threats or harmful influence
of any groups or gangs which exhibit drug use, violence or disruptive behavior. The
Superintendent or designee shall take steps to deter gang intimidation of students and staff and
confrontations between members of different gangs. He/she shall exchange information and
establish mutually supportive efforts with local law enforcement authorities.
The Superintendent or designee shall provide inservice training which helps staff to identify
gangs and gang symbols, recognize early manifestations of disruptive activities, and respond
appropriately to gang behavior. Staff shall be informed about conflict management techniques
and alerted to intervention measures and community resources.
The Board realizes that students become involved in gangs for many reasons, such as peer
pressure, the need for a sense of belonging, and lack of refusal skills. Age-appropriate gang
violence prevention education shall start with students in the early elementary grades and may
start in kindergarten.
To further discourage the influence of gangs, the Superintendent or designee shall ensure that
school rules of conduct and any school dress code prohibiting gang-related apparel are
enforced consistently. If a student exhibits signs of gang affiliation, staff shall so inform the
parent/guardian.
Legal Reference:
EDUCATION CODE
32282 School safety plans
35183 Gang-related apparel
41510-41514 School Safety Consolidated Competitive Grant
48907 Student exercise of free expression
51264 Educational inservice training; CDE guidelines
51265 Gang violence and drug and alcohol abuse prevention inservice training
51266-51266.5 Model gang and substance abuse prevention curriculum
PENAL CODE
186.22 Participation in criminal street gang
13826-13826.7 Gang violence suppression
UNITED STATES CODE, TITLE 20
7101-7184 Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act
Kenosha (WI) Unified School District No. 1 School Board Policies Kenosha, Wisconsin Rules (1997)
POLICY 5438
GANGS AND GANG RELATED ACTIVITIES
District schools have a responsibility to maintain a school environment free of violence, intimidation, or other behaviors which threaten the safety and well being of students and staff. Anti-social and/or criminal activities of gangs or gang-like groups threaten the school environment and interfere with the educational process. Anti-social and/or gang activities will not be tolerated and the District hereby bars all gangs, gang affiliations and gang related activities from school buildings, school buses, school related activities and school property at all times.
A "gang" is defined as any identifiable group or club which exists without the sponsorship or authorization of the school and which engages in anti-social or criminal behavior or activity which is disruptive of the school environment.
Activities of gangs/associations/organizations including recruitment, initiations, hazing, intimidation, retaliation and/or related activities which could potentially cause bodily danger, physical harm, or personal degradation or disgrace and result in physical or mental harm to students are prohibited as are all forms of criminal activity. The use of language, hand signals, graffiti, tattoos, haircuts, or the presence of any wearing apparel, footwear, jewelry, accessory, or manner of grooming which, by virtue of color, arrangement, trademark, symbol or any other attribute indicates or implies membership or affiliation with such a group is hereby prohibited.
School administrators will monitor the school environment and parents will be informed of suspected gang involvement and/or activities. If an administrator verifies a student's involvement in gang activity, the parent or guardian will be informed and appropriate law enforcement and social service agencies will be notified, Administrators shall comply with confidentiality laws when releasing student record information. Cooperation with law enforcement agencies is authorized and encouraged.
Students violating this policy may be subject to appropriate disciplinary action, including suspension and/or recommendation for expulsion consideration.
Granville County (NC) Board of Education
BOARD POLICY 4332 GANG CONTROL
The purpose of the Granville County Board of Education Gang Control Policy is to address problems associated with youth gangs through proactive education and disciplinary action, where necessary.
A. DEFINITION OF GANGS
1. Youth and Street Gang
Any ongoing organization, association or group of three (3) or more persons, either formal or informal, which meets BOTH of the following criteria:
a. has unique common name or common identifying signs, colors, or symbols, and,
b. has members or associates who, individually or collectively, engage repeatedly in, or have repeatedly engaged in criminal activity.
2. Youth and Street Gang Member
a. admits to gang membership,
b. is a youth up to age 21 who is identified as a gang member by a parent or guardian,
c. is identified as a gang member by a documented reliable informant,
d. resides in or frequents a particular gang‘s area and adopts their style of dress, use of hand signs, symbols, or tattoos, and associates with known gang members,
e. is identified as a gang member by an informant of previously untested reliability and corroborated by independent information,
f. has been arrested more than once in the company of identified gang members for offenses which are consistent with usual gang activity,
g. is identified as a gang member by physical evidence such as photographs or other documentation.
B. OPERATING POLICY AND PROCEDURES
1. The school administrator shall justify in writing any restrictions of symbolic expression as follows and prior to imposing such restrictions shall articulate:
a. which items of dress, expression, or article is being restricted, and
b. the basis of the administrator‘s belief based on articulated facts that the exercise of the prohibited activity would materially interfere with or substantially disrupt school activities. Granville Gang Assessment and Improvement Network
2. The type of dress, apparel, activities, acts, behavior or manner of grooming displayed (including but not limited to clothing, clothing accessories, jewelry, hair accessories, emblems, badges, symbols, signs, or items which indicate a student‘s membership in or affiliation with a gang), reflected, or participated in by the student shall not:
a. lead school officials to reasonably believe that such behavior, apparel, activities, acts, or other attributes are gang related and would materially interfere or substantially disrupt the school environment or activity and/or educational objectives;
b. present a physical safety hazard to self, students, staff, employees, or other persons authorized to be on the school campus;
c. communicate either verbally or non-verbally (gestures, handshakes, slogans, drawings, etc.) to convey membership or affiliation in a gang;
d. defacing school or personal property with gang-related graffiti, symbols, or slogans;
e. require payment of protection, insurance, or otherwise intimidating or threatening any person related to gang activity;
f. inciting other students to intimidate or to act with physical violence upon any other related to gang activity;
g. soliciting others for gang membership;
h. committing any other illegal act or other violation of school district policies that relate to gang activity.
3. If the student‘s behavior or other attribute is in violation of these provisions, the principal or designee will request the student to make the appropriate correction. If the student refuses, the parent/guardian shall be notified and asked to make the necessary correction. The principal will take appropriate corrective and disciplinary action.
4. Students identified as being gang involved, influenced or affiliated shall be provided assistance and/or programs which discourage gang involvement or affiliation, enhance self-esteem, encourage interest and participation in school or other positive activities and promote membership in authorized school organizations.
5. Training to provide increased awareness of the threat to the safety of students, staff and school property which gang-related activity poses shall be provided by the School Resource Officer on an as-needed basis. Additional presentations shall be made available to individual schools, staff or students at the request of the principal. Presentations shall provide training in current identification symbols used by those involved in gang-related activity and shall include the identification of hand signals, apparel, jewelry, and/or other pertinent gang-related information. Granville Gang Assessment and Improvement Network (GAIN).
C. NOTIFICATION
The principal shall notify the student body of the Granville County Board of Education Gang Control Policy through classroom presentations, assemblies, and/or written notification.
1. Upon meeting two of the criteria for a student to be identified youth or street gang affiliated, the school principal shall have a face to face meeting with parents explaining interventions and prevention strategies for the student.
2. A copy of the Granville County School Board Gang Control Policy shall be distributed to all middle and high school students. A copy of this policy will be placed in each of the middle and high school student/parent handbooks. It will be the responsibility of the student and the parent to become familiar with said policy.
D. DISCIPLINE
If gang related activity is associated with another act of misconduct, evidence of gang activity shall be considered an aggravating factor.
Prior to First Offense:
Upon meeting two of the criteria for a student to be identified youth or street gang affiliated, the school principal shall have a face to face meeting with parents explaining interventions and prevention strategies for the student.
Before being suspended for a first offense of wearing gang-related attire (when not involved in any other kind of gang-related activity or behavior), a student may receive a warning and be allowed to immediately change or remove the attire if the school administration determines that the student did not intend the attire to show gang affiliation.
Reference Policy 4353 for disciplinary action.
Consequences:
Violation of this section will result in suspension for the remainder of the school year. The procedures for suspension or expulsion are provided in Board Policy 4353, Long-Term Suspension, 365 Days Suspension, Expulsion. A determination of the appropriate consequence will be made in accordance with the provisions of that policy. Placement in an alternative educational setting may be made instead of suspension in accordance with policy 3470/4305. Consequences for bomb threats are addressed in policy 4333, Weapons, Bomb Threats, Terrorist Threats and Clear Threats to Safety.
Upon completion of the suspension, students will be required to read and sign an Anti-Gang Behavior Contract (see attached).
School Behavior Contract
I, ______, do hereby promise to abide by the following terms when I am in school:
1. I will follow the rules of the school as listed in the student handbook and those posted in each individual teacher’s room.
2. I will treat others with respect.
3. I will go to my classes on time, prepared to work.
4. I will pay attention to my teacher’s instructions.
5. I will get started on my work when an assignment is given.
6. I will ask questions when I do not understand something.
7. I will take notes in my classes.
8. I will write down my class work and homework assignments in a place that I can find them. (Assignment notebook or agenda)
9. I will put a heading on my papers that includes my name, the class period and date and the assigned pages and problem numbers.
10. I will do my homework and turn it in on time.
11. I will work appropriately with peers when in groups.
12. I will keep my hands to myself.
13. I will take my turn in the cafeteria and clean up after myself.