Northbrook School District 28

Student Behavior (refer to Board Policy 7:190)

Gross disobedience or misconduct consists of any conduct, behavior or activity which causes, or may reasonably lead school authorities to forecast substantial injury or disruption or material interference with school activities or the rights of other students or school personnel, including without limitation, specific behaviors defined as gross disobedience or misconduct in the Student Handbook prepared by school personnel to implement this policy.

Prohibited Student Conduct

The school administration is authorized to discipline students for gross disobedience or misconduct, including, but not limited to:

1. Using, possessing, distributing, purchasing, or selling tobacco or nicotine materials including without limitation electronic cigarettes, vapes, vape pens or other vaping related products.
2. Using, possessing, distributing, purchasing, or selling alcoholic beverages. Students who are under the influence of an alcoholic beverage are not permitted to attend school or school functions and are treated as though they had alcohol in their possession.
3. Using, possessing, distributing, purchasing, selling or offering for sale:
   1. Any illegal drugs, controlled substances, or cannabis (including marijuana and hashish and medical cannabis unless the student is authorized to be administered a medical cannabis-infused product on Ashley’s Law).
   2. Any anabolic steroid unless it is being administered in accordance with a physician’s or licensed practitioner’s prescription.
   3. Any performance-enhancing substance on the Illinois High School Association’s most current banned substance list unless administrated in accordance with a physician’s or licensed practitioner’s prescription.
   4. Any prescription drug when not prescribed for the student by a physician or licensed practitioner, or when used in a manner inconsistent with the prescription or prescribing physician’s or licensed practitioner’s instructions. The use or possession of medical cannabis, even by a student for whom medical cannabis has been prescribed, is prohibited unless the student is authorized to be administered a medical cannabis-infused product under Ashley’s Law.
   5. Any inhalant, regardless of whether it contains an illegal drug or controlled substance: (a) that a student believes is, or represents to be capable of, causing intoxication, hallucination, excitement, or dulling of the brain or nervous system; or (b) about which the student engaged in behavior that would lead a responsible person to believe that the student intended the inhalant to cause intoxication, hallucination, excitement, or dulling of the brain or nervous system. The prohibition in this section does not apply to a student’s use of asthma or other legally prescribed inhalant medications.
   6. Any substance inhaled, injected, smoked, consumed, or otherwise ingested or absorbed with the intention of causing a physiological or psychological change in the body, including without limitations, pure caffeine in tablet or powdered form, unless administered in accordance with a physician’s or licensed practitioner’s prescription.
   7. “Look-alike” or counterfeit drugs, including a substance that is not prohibited by this policy, but one: “(a) that a student believes to be, or represents to be, an illegal drug or controlled substance, or (b) about which a student engaged in behavior that would lead a reasonable person to believe that the student expressly or implied represented to be an illegal drug, controlled substance or other substance that is prohibited by this policy.
   8. Drug paraphernalia, including devices that are or can be used to: (a) ingest, inhale, or inject cannabis or controlled substances into the body; and (b) grow, process, store, or conceal cannabis or controlled substances.

Students who are under the influence of any prohibited substance or drug or in possession of any drug paraphernalia are not permitted to attend school or school functions and are treated as though they had drugs or paraphernalia, as applicable, in their possession.

4. Using, possessing, controlling, or transferring a “weapon” as that term is defined in the Weapons section of this policy, or violating the Weapons section of this policy.
5. Using or possessing an electronic device. Using a cellular phone, video recording device, or other electronic device in any manner that disrupts the educational environment or violates the rights of others, including using the device to take photographs in locker rooms or bathrooms, cheat, or otherwise violate student conduct rules. Prohibited conduct specifically includes, without limitation, creating, sending, sharing, viewing, receiving, or possessing an indecent visual depiction of oneself or another person through the use of a computer, electronic communication device, or cellular phone. Unless otherwise banned under this policy or by the Building Principal, all electronic devices must be kept powered-off and out-of-sight during the regular school day unless: (a) the supervising teacher grants permission; (b) use of the device is provided in a student’s individualized education program (IEP); or (c) it is needed in an emergency that threatens the safety of students, staff, or other individuals.
6. Using or possessing a laser pointer unless under a staff member’s direct supervision and in the context of instruction.
7. Disobeying rules of student conduct or directives from staff members or school officials. Examples of disobeying staff directives include refusing a District staff member’s request to stop, identify oneself, or submit to a search.
8. Engaging in academic dishonesty, including without limitation cheating, intentionally plagiarizing, wrongfully giving, or receiving, help during an academic examination, altering report cards, and wrongfully obtaining test copies or scores.
9. Engaging in hazing or any kind of bullying or aggressive behavior that does physical or psychological harm to a staff person or another student, or any urging of other students to engage in such conduct. Prohibited conduct specifically includes, without limitation, any use of violence, intimidation, force, noise, coercion, threats, intimidation, fear, stalking, harassment, sexual harassment, public humiliation, theft or destruction of property, retaliation, hazing, bullying, bullying using a school computer or a school computer network, or other comparable conduct.
10. Engaging in any sexual activity, including without limitation, offensive touching, sexual harassment, indecent exposure (including mooning), and sexual assault. This does not include the non-disruptive (a) expression of gender or sexual orientation or preference, or (b) display of affection during non-instructional time.
11. Teen dating violence, as described in Board policy 7:185, Teen Dating Violence Prohibited.
12. Causing or attempting to cause damage to, or stealing or attempting to steal, school property or another person's personal property.
13. Entering school property or a school facility without proper authorization.
14. In the absence of a reasonable belief that an emergency exists, calling emergency responders (such as calling 911); signaling or setting off alarms indicating the presence of an emergency; or indicating the presence of a bomb or explosive device on school grounds, school bus, or at any school activity.
15. Being absent without a recognized excuse; State law and Board policy on truancy control will be used with chronic and habitual truants.
16. Being involved with any public school fraternity, sorority, or secret society, by
    
    • Being a member,
    • Promising to join,
    • Pledging to become a member, or
    • Soliciting any other person to join, promise to join, or be pledged to become a member.

17. Involvement in gangs or gang‑related activities, including the display of gang symbols or paraphernalia.
18. Violating any criminal law, including but not limited to, assault, battery, arson, theft, gambling, eavesdropping, vandalism, and hazing.
19. Making an explicit threat on an Internet website against a school employee, a student or any school-related personnel if the Internet website through which the threat was made is a site that was accessible within the school at the time the threat was made or was available to third parties who worked or studied within the school grounds at the time the threat was made, and the threat could be reasonably interpreted as threatening to the safety and security of the threatened individual because of his or her duties or employment status or status as a student inside the school.
20. Operating an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) or drone for any purpose on school grounds or at any school event unless granted permission by the Superintendent or designee.
21. Engaging in any activity, on or off-campus, that interferes with, disrupts, or adversely affects the school environment, school operations, or an educational function, including but not limited to, conduct that may reasonably be considered to: (a) be a threat or attempted intimidation of a staff member; or (b) endanger the health or safety of students, staff, or school property.

For purposes of this policy, the term "possession" includes having control, custody, or care, currently or in the past, of an object or substance, including situations in which the item is: (a) on the student's person, or (b) contained in another item belonging to, or under the control of, the student, such as in the student's clothing, backpack, or (c) in a school's student locker, desk, or other school property, or (d) at any other location on school property (including adjacent park district areas), or at a school-sponsored event.

Efforts, including the use of positive interventions and supports, shall be made to deter students, while at school or a school-related event, from engaging in aggressive behavior that may reasonably produce physical or psychological harm to someone else. The Superintendent or designee shall ensure that the parent/guardian of a student who engages in aggressive behavior is notified of the incident. The failure to provide such notification does not limit the Board’s authority to impose discipline, including suspension or expulsion, for such behavior.

No disciplinary action shall be taken against any student that is based totally or in part on the refusal of the student’s parent/guardian to administer or consent to the administration of psychotropic or psycho-stimulant medication to the student.

When and Where Conduct Rules Apply

The grounds for disciplinary action, including those described more thoroughly later in this policy, apply whenever the student's conduct is reasonably related to school or school activities, including, but not limited to:

1. On, or in sight of, school grounds before, during, or after school hours or at any other time;
2. Off school grounds at a school-sponsored activity, or event, or any activity or event which bears a reasonable relationship to school;
3. Traveling to or from school or a school activity, function or event; or
4. Anywhere, if the conduct interferes with, disrupts, or adversely affects the school environment, school operations, or an educational function, including but not limited to, conduct that may reasonably be considered to: (a) be a threat or attempted intimidation of a staff member; or (b) endanger the health or safety of students, staff, or school property.