The Board of Education expects all students to conduct themselves in an appropriate and civil manner, with proper regard for the rights and welfare of other students, district personnel, and other members of the school community, and for the care of school facilities and equipment. The best discipline is self-imposed, and students must learn to assume and accept
responsibility for their own actions/volitional behaviors, as well as the consequences of misbehaviors and actions that violate this Code that are within their control. District personnel who interact with students are expected to use disciplinary action only when necessary and to place emphasis on the students’ ability to grow in self-discipline. The Board
recognizes the need to make its expectations for student conduct while on school property or engaged in a school function specific and clear. The rules of conduct listed below are intended to do that and focus on safety and respect for the rights and property of others. Students who will not accept responsibility for their own behavior and who violate these school rules will be
required to accept the penalties for their conduct in a manner consistent with state and federal law. Students may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including suspension from school, when they:

1. Engage in conduct that is disorderly or disruptive as an individual or member of a group. Examples of disorderly or disruptive conduct include but are not limited to:
   1. running in hallways; 
   2. making noise of an unreasonable volume or noxious noises that interfere with the educational environment;
   3. using language or gestures that are profane, lewd, vulgar, plainly offensive,  abusive and/or discriminating.
   4. obstructing vehicular or pedestrian traffic;
   5. engaging in any willful act that disrupts the normal operation of the school community;
   6. trespassing (students are not permitted in any school building, other than the one they regularly attend, without permission from the administrator in charge of the building);
   7. computer/electronic communications misuse, including any unauthorized use of computers, software, or Internet/intranet account, accessing inappropriate websites, or any other violation of the district’s acceptable use policy (also see District Policy #7315 Student Use of Computerized Information Resources); 
   8. use of internet-enabled cell phones and/or other internet-enabled devices in a manner prohibited by Board of Education Policy 7315R;
   9. failing to comply with the reasonable directions of teachers, school administrators, or other school personnel in charge of students;
   10. intentional or reckless damage and/or misuse of district devices (e.g. Chromebooks) as outlined in the Pine Bush CSD 1:1 Device Handbook.
2. Engage in conduct that is insubordinate as an individual or member of a group. Examples of insubordinate conduct include but are not limited to:
   1. failing to comply with the reasonable directions of teachers, school administrators, or other school employees in charge of students or otherwise engaging in conduct that is prohibited by this Code;
   2.  lateness for, missing, or leaving school or class without permission or excuse; 
   3. skipping detention or ignoring penalties imposed by district staff; 
   4. unauthorized use of an internet-enabled device.
3.  Engage in conduct that is violent as an individual or member of a group. Examples of violent conduct include but are not limited to:
   1. threatening, planning, attempting to commit or committing an act of violence, such as hitting, shoving, pushing, pinching, kicking, punching, scratching or spitting, upon a teacher, administrator, or other school employee, or attempting to do so; 
   2. threatening, planning, attempting to commit or committing an act of violence, such as hitting, shoving, pushing, pinching, kicking, punching, or scratching upon another student or any other person lawfully on school property, or attempting to do so;
   3. possessing a weapon while on school property or at a school function(except law enforcement officials, as defined by law);
   4. displaying what appears to be a weapon or facsimile weapon;
   5. threatening to use any weapon;
   6. intentionally or recklessly damaging or destroying the personal property of a student, teacher, administrator, other district employee, or any person lawfully on school property;
   7. intentionally or recklessly damaging or destroying school district property.
4. Engage in any conduct that endangers the safety, morals, health, or welfare of self or any other person as an individual or member of a group. Examples of such conduct include but are not limited to:
   1. bullying or cyber bullying; 
   2. stealing the property of the district, of other students, school personnel, or any other person lawfully on school property or attending a school function;
   3. defamation, which includes making false or unprivileged oral or written
      statements or representations about an individual or identifiable group of
      individuals that may reasonably lead to harm to the reputation of the person or the identifiable group and/or that is by demeaning to the person or group of people;
   4. discrimination, which includes the use of race, color, weight, religion, religious practice, creed, national origin, ethnic group, gender (identity and expression), sex, sexual orientation or disability as a basis for treating another in a negative manner or in a manner inferior to another person or identifiable group of people;
   5. harassment, which includes a sufficiently severe action or a persistent, pervasive pattern of actions or statements directed at an identifiable individual or group that are intended to be or that a reasonable person would perceive as ridiculing or demeaning;
   6. Anti-Semitism and/or hostility or prejudice toward any religious group;
   7. sexual harassment, which includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and/or other verbal and/or physical conduct of a sexual nature;
   8. intimidation, which includes engaging in actions or statements that put an individual in fear of bodily harm, and/or emotional harm;
   9. sending mean, vulgar or threatening messages or images.
   10. intimidating, threatening, or causing bodily harm to another because that individual was asked to provide testimony or provided testimony to a school official;
   11. hazing, which includes any intentional or reckless act directed against another for the purpose of initiation into, affiliating with, or maintaining membership in any school sponsored activity, organization, club, or team;
   12. selling, using, possessing, exhibiting or distributing obscene material;
   13. use of camera phones or wireless communication devices to capture, store or distribute images without a person’s permission (refer to District Policy #7315 Student Use of Computerized Information Resources (Acceptable Use Policy);
   14. using lewd, obscene, vulgar, plainly offensive or abusive language, cursing or swearing;
   15. smoking a cigarette, cigar, or pipe, or using chewing or smokeless tobacco; e-cigarettes, vape pens or synthetic cannabis;
   16. possessing, consuming, selling, distributing, or exchanging alcoholic beverages or illegal substances or drugs, including synthetic drugs and drug paraphernalia, or being under the influence of or otherwise engaging in use of alcohol, marijuana , synthetic marijuana, or an illegal substance. “Illegal substances” include, but are not limited to, inhalants, cocaine, lsd, pcp, amphetamines, heroin, steroids, look-alike drugs, and any substance commonly referred to as a “designer drug”;
   17. inappropriately using, sharing or selling prescription or over-the-counter drugs; 
   18. gambling; 
   19. indecent exposure, that is, exposure to the sight of the private parts of the body in a lewd or indecent manner, or using an electronic device to send, receive, create, alter or forward sexually suggestive photos or comment; 
   20. initiating a report warning of fire or other catastrophe without valid cause, misuse of 911, or discharging a fire extinguisher; 
   21. lying to school personnel;
   22. making a recording or screenshots of teachers or classmates in virtual
       classrooms;

   23. making and/or distributing audio or video recording or screenshots of verbal or physical altercations.

   24. use of electronic devices and/or digitization to capture, create, alter, store or distribute images without a person’s permission;

   25. depicting, disseminating, publishing or threatening to depict, disseminate or publish another person in a still or video image or a vocal recording, including an image or recording created or altered by digitization, regardless of whether or not the original sill or video image or the recording was consensually obtained, that reasonably causes or would reasonably be expected to cause emotional harm to a student or has or would have the impact of unreasonably and substantially interfering with a student’s educational performance, opportunities or benefits, or mental, emotional or physical well-being.

5. Engage in misconduct while on a school bus. It is crucial for students to behave appropriately while riding on district buses to ensure their safety and that of other passengers and to avoid distracting the bus driver. Students are required to conduct themselves on the bus in a manner consistent with established standards for classroom/virtual learning behavior and behavior at school functions. Any distraction to the driver such as: excessive noise, pushing, shoving, throwing objects, fighting, or being out of one’s seat while the bus is in motion, will not be tolerated. Any other conduct that is prohibited by this Code that is engaged in by a student while on a school bus, including but not limited to bullying, cyberbullying, discrimination, hazing, or harassment will not be tolerated an are subject to consequences as set forth in this Code.
6. Engage in any form of academic misconduct as an individual or member of a group. Examples of academic misconduct include but are not limited to:
   1. plagiarism; 
   2. cheating, including, but not limited to, copying, (including, but not limited to,
      homework, tests and papers), using unauthorized help sheets and the like, illegally obtaining test information in advance, substituting for a test taker, and other forms of unauthorized collusion; 
   3. altering records; 
   4. assisting another student in any of the above actions; 
   5. the use of wireless communication, e.g., text messages, camera phones, smart watches, smart glasses, etc., for the purposes of cheating;
   6. use of artificial intelligence in any form to conduct or support cheating, plagiarism, or any academic dishonesty.. 
7. A student may be subject to discipline for conduct constituting a crime which is committed off school premises and away from school functions to the extent there is a reasonable belief that the student’s continued attendance in school would adversely affect the educative process (e.g., disrupts the operation of the school) or constitutes an endangerment to the health, safety and/or welfare of students and/or others in the schools. This would include, but not be limited to, for example, threatening or assaulting another student or staff member off school premises.

   A student may also be subject to discipline for off-campus misconduct where there is a reasonable belief that such conduct has a nexus to the educative process (i.e., student-student, student-personnel, interactions that have a detrimental or disruptive effect or would foreseeably have a detrimental or disruptive effect upon school programs or operations).

   A student may also be subject to discipline for cyberbullying that occurs off school property if the student’s conduct creates or would foreseeably create a risk of substantial disruption within the school environment (where it is reasonably foreseeable that the conduct, threats, intimidation or abuse might reach school property).