Ohio County Schools Establishes Policy To Stop Harmful Conduct Via Technology Use

photo by: Joselyn King

Ohio County Board of Education President David Croft, left, and Business Manager Steve Bieniek talk before a board meeting.

WHEELING – A new policy in Ohio County Schools seeks to stop students from engaging in cyber-bullying or causing harm to another through the use of technology.

The Ohio County Board of Education this week approved the policy that seeks to stop the harassment, intimidation or bullying (HIB) of a student through devices such as computers, tablets, mobile phones, wearable devices, cameras, social media, messaging apps, email, and related services.

The policy applies to all students enrolled in Ohio County Schools and governs the use of any technology, whether owned by the school district or personally owned, “when such use affects the school environment,” the policy states.

This means students are subject to the policy even when they are off school property or at home.

“With technology, harassment, intimidation and bullying could be anywhere,” explained Ohio County Board of Education President David Croft, an attorney who wrote the policy.

And if bullying is happening online, it could be “adversely affecting the school environment,” he continued. This differs from a physical fight between two students off school property that would not fall under the technology policy.

“With this policy, we are trying to curb the use of technology by students in creating an unsafe or disruptive school environment,” Croft continues. “(A physical fight) wouldn’t necessarily mean someone is being bullied. It could mean they are just not seeing eye to eye and want to settle it with an altercation.

“Kids have been getting into fights since…

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