District's Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Grade
Our school district has conscientiously implemented the requirements found in the anti-bullying Bill of Rights Act, please see below.
Affirmative Action
NJ Law Against Discrimination (LAD}
BOE Policies #1550, #2260
The Somerset Hills School District prohibits discriminatory practices in employment, retention, or educational opportunity on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, nationality, ancestry, age sex (including pregnancy), familial status, marital status, domestic partnership or civil union status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, atypical hereditary cellular or blood trait, genetic information, liability for military service, and mental and physical disability, perceived disability and AIDS and HIV status.
Individuals who believe they have been harassed may file a complaint with their building's Affirmative Action representative:
Bedwell: Keith Koelhoffer
BMS: Lisa Garofalo
BHS: Scott Neigel
Olcott: Coleen Butler
If the issue is not resolved at the building level, a formal grievance may be filed with the district's Affirmative Action Officer:
Coleen Butler
cbutler@shsd.org
908.204-1930, ext. 1314
School Climate State Coordinator Contact Info:hib@doe.nj.gov
Explanation of the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act Report Card
The Somerset Hills School District has addressed issues related to harassment, intimidation and bullying for many years. We have continued to make adjustments in resolving these issues by implementing intervention programs and providing character education.
The annual grade report provides information about the results of a district-based self-assessment that was conducted to determine adherence to all of the requirements of the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights.
There are eight components pertaining to staff professional development, anti-bullying programs for students, appropriate investigation of complaints, and adherence to guidelines for reporting results.
The scores are calculated by rating 26 indicators on a scale of zero to three to arrive at a total score with a maximum value of 78.
The rating scale consists of the following values:
0 = Does Not Meet the Requirements
1 = Partially Meets the Requirements
2 = Meets the Requirements
3 = Exceeds the Requirements
District Antibullying Coordinator
Jaime Walker
jwalker@shsd.org
908-204-1930 x2119
School Anti-Bullying Specialists
Bedwell:
Ms. Megan Dooley
mdooley@shsd.org
908-204-1920 x4015
BMS:
Ms. Michele Adkins
madkins@shsd.org
908-204-1916, x3012
Mr. Chris Habermas
chabermas@shsd.org
908-204-1916, x3022
BHS:
Ms. Lauren Cava
lcava@shsd.org
908-204-1930, x2306
Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying
The Somerset Hills School District Board of Education prohibits acts of harassment, intimidation, or bullying of a pupil. A safe and civil environment in school is necessary for pupils to learn and achieve high academic standards. Harassment, intimidation, or bullying, like other disruptive or violent behaviors, is conduct that disrupts both a pupil’s ability to learn and a school’s ability to educate its pupils in a safe and disciplined environment. Since pupils learn by example, school administrators, faculty, staff and volunteers should be commended for demonstrating appropriate behavior, treating others with civility and respect, and refusing to tolerate harassment, intimidation, or bullying.