1. PURPOSE AND PHILOSOPHY
   Weber School District is committed to creating a safe and secure environment for students, employees, parents, and community members.  Gang-related activity, as defined in this Policy, is detrimental to the safe learning environment of our schools and WSD is committed to addressing gang-related activity through prevention, intervention, and if necessary, discipline in an effort to keep our schools safe.
   
   
2. POLICY
   WSD prohibits gang-related activity in any form at school, school-sponsored events, or to or from school-sponsored events.  Students engaging in gang-related activities will be disciplined in accordance with Policy 5200.  In addition to imposing disciplinary action for gang-related activities, WSD will seek to prevent and intervene in gang-related activity by implementing specific gang prevention and intervention programs designed to assist at-risk students or students involved in gangs.
   
   
3. DEFINITION
   1.  "At-risk student" means any student who because of the student's individual needs requires some kind of uniquely designed intervention in order to achieve literacy, graduate and be prepared for transition from school to post-school options
   2. "Gang" means a group of three or more people who form an allegiance and engage in criminal activity, which uses violence or intimidation to further its criminal objectives. A gang may have a name, turf, colors, symbols, distinct dress, or any combination of the preceding characteristics.
   3. “Gang-related activities” means:
      1.  a gang engaging in criminal acts, including but not limited to vandalism (including graffiti), damage to school property, assault, threats, trespass, disorderly conduct, theft, possession of a weapon, alcohol, tobacco, controlled substance, drug paraphernalia, or other contraband.
      2. Engaging in any of the following activities which suggest gang affiliation:
         1. wearing, possession, using, distributing, displaying, or selling any clothing, jewelry, apparel, emblems, badges, tattoos, accessories, symbols, signs, or other things which are evidence of membership in or affiliation with any gang; 
         2. committing any act or using any speech, either verbal or non-verbal (i.e., flashing signs, gestures, handshakes, etc.) that demonstrates membership in or an affiliation with a gang;
         3. soliciting others for membership in a gang;
         4. requesting any person to “pay for protection" or otherwise intimidating, bullying, retaliating against, threatening, or harassing any person; or
         5. encouraging or inciting another person to act with physical violence upon any other person or cause damage to property.
   4. "Gang prevention" means instructional and support strategies, activities, programs, or curricula designed and implemented to provide successful experiences for youth and families.  Gang prevention activities shall promote cultural and social competence, self-management skills, citizenship, preparation for life skills, academic achievement, literacy, and interpersonal relationship skills required for school completion and full participation in society.
   5. "Gang intervention" means specially designed services required by an individual student experiencing difficulty in cultural and social competence, self-management skills, citizenship, preparation for life skills, academic achievement, literacy, and interpersonal relationships, within or outside of the school, which may impact the individual's susceptibility to gang membership or gang-like activities.
      
      
4. PROHIBITIONS AND DISCIPLINE
   1. WSD prohibits the following gang-related behavior:
      1. engaging in gang-related activities;
      2. advocating or promoting a gang or any gang-related activities;
      3. marking school property, books, or school work with gang names, slogans, or signs;
      4. conducting gang initiations;
      5. threatening another person with bodily injury or inflicting bodily injury on another in connection with a gang or gang-related activity;
      6. aiding or abetting an activity described in 4)a)i) through 4)a)iv) above by a person's presence or support;
      7. displaying or wearing common gang apparel, common dress, or identifying signs or symbols on one's clothing, person, or personal property that is disruptive to the school environment; and,
      8. communicating in any method, including verbal, non-verbal, and electronic means, designed to convey gang membership or affiliation.
   2. Students engaged in any of the conduct described in 4)a) will be subject to discipline in accordance with the procedures outlined in Policy 5200.
      
      
5. PROCEDURES
   1. School faculty and personnel shall report suspected gang-related activities associated with the school and its student to a school administrator and law enforcement.
   2. A student who participates in gang-related activities may be excluded from participation in extracurricular activities, including interscholastic athletics, as determined by the school administration after consultation with law enforcement.
   3. Gang-related graffiti or damage to school property shall result in parent notification and appropriate administrative and law enforcement actions, which may include obtaining restitution from those responsible for the damage.
   4. If a serious gang-related incident, as determined by the school administrator in consultation with local law enforcement, occurs on school property, at school-related activities, or on a site that is normally considered to be under school control, notification shall be provided to parents of students in the school:
      1. informing them, in general terms, about the incident, but removing all personally identifiable information about students from the notice;
      2. emphasizing the school's concern for safety; and,
      3. outlining the action taken at the school regarding the incident.
         
         
6. INTERVENTION AND PREVENTION PROGRAMS
   1. School faculty and personnel shall be trained by experienced evidence based trainers that may include community gang specialists and law enforcement as part of comprehensive strategies to recognize early warning signs for at-risk students and help students resist serious involvement in undesirable activity, including joining gangs or mimicking gang behavior.
   2. School faculty and personnel shall implement gang prevention and intervention programs specifically designed to help at-risk students stay in school and enhance their cultural and social competence, self-management skills, citizenship, preparation for life skills, academic achievement, literacy, and interpersonal relationship skills required for school completion and full participation in society. 

Approved by the Board 05/06/2020