By PAT NEWMAN
Staff Writer

A 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.