BHS Stop Harassing has been working to raise awareness about discrimination at Berkeley High over the past year (file photo). Photo: BHS Stop Harassing There were 165 complaints of bullying, sexual harassment and other types of harassment were reported in Berkeley schools in the 2014-15 school year, according to a report set to go before the School Board […]
Sexual harassment
Posted inOpinion
Op-ed: Berkeley School Board must take action on sexual harassment
In Berkeley, a topic of concern is “disproportionality,” the discrepancy between how often students of color are disciplined compared to their population. One of the greatest deterrents to the school-to-prison pipeline is prevention. Education, training, and a culture of respect lead to a safer school environment, which in turn leads to fewer incidents. Stronger, safer […]
Posted inSchools
BHS Stop Harassing takes campaign to Berkeley council
BHS Stop Harassing has been working to raise awareness about sexual harassment and other types of discrimination at Berkeley High over the past year (file photo). Photo: BHS Stop Harassing Advocates working to raise awareness about sexual harassment faced by Berkeley Unified students asked the Berkeley City Council for its support Tuesday night, saying the […]
Posted inSchools
Berkeley High anti-harassment student group wins award, celebrates with Patricia Arquette
Members of the #BHSStopHarassing group with actress Patricia Arquette (third from right). The students are wearing anti-harassment shirts they designed and distributed in the community. Photo: Nancy Lewin By Francesca Paris The efforts of Berkeley High School’s student-led anti-sexual harassment group, BHS Stop Harassing, were recognized this week by Equal Rights Advocates who presented them their 2015 Champion of Justice […]
Posted inSchools
Berkeley School Board primer: Harold Way, admissions and enrollment, the budget
The Berkeley School Board. Photo: Mark Coplan/BUSD The Berkeley schools Board of Education meets tonight, May 20, at 7:30 p.m. See the agenda packet here. (It’s a large file that may take time to load.) On the agenda: 2211 Harold Way and its impacts on Berkeley High; the school budget and LCAP plans; a review of the district’s approach […]
Posted inSchools
Berkeley High students allege BUSD refused access to federal investigators over sexual harassment
Students from the BHS Stop Harassing group put up posters on campus alleging BUSD has been refusing OCR investigators access to students. Photo: Jaya N.S. After BUSD officials allegedly refused to let federal investigators interview students about sexual harassment claims at Berkeley High, students plastered posters in campus hallways last month stating, “You are being […]
Posted inSchools
Berkeley School Board primer: Budget priorities, facilities plan, sexual harassment, attendance
The Berkeley School Board, at its August meeting. Photo: Mark Coplan/BUSD The Berkeley schools Board of Education meets tonight, May 6, at 7:30 p.m. See the agenda packet here. (It’s a large file that may take time to load.) On the agenda: the school budget, sexual harassment, the latest school attendance report, the creation of a new facilities master […]
Posted inSchools
School Board adopts interim sexual harassment policy
Sexual Harassment Advisory Committee member Peggy Scott speaks to the School Board during public comment on Wednesday April 8, 2015. Photo: Seung Y. Lee Amid a federal investigation on whether Berkeley High School inadequately responded to sexual harassment claims, the Berkeley School Board voted unanimously Wednesday to pass a new, interim sexual harassment policy. While passing […]
Posted inSchools
Feds launch civil rights investigation into Berkeley School District’s response to sexual harassment claims
Berkeley High School: at the center of a sexual harassment investigation. Photo: Lance Knobel The federal Office for Civil Rights has launched an investigation into whether the Berkeley Unified School District inadequately responded to sexual harassment claims at Berkeley High School, thereby creating a “hostile environment on the basis of sex.” Failure to adequately respond to sexual harassment […]
Posted inSchools
Students target sexual harassment at Berkeley High
The student leaders of an anti-sexual harassment campaign model the t-shirts they will distribute on campus. Photo: Brea Kaye Earlier this year, some male students at Berkeley High School created “slut accounts” on Instagram. The accounts included photos of female students with misogynistic, sexual captions. A number of the instigators were suspended as a result. However, a group […]
Posted inOpinion
Op-ed: Sexual harassment at Berkeley High must stop
On the evening of Nov. 12 we sent an invitation to each member of the Berkeley School Board and to members of the leadership team of the Superintendent’s office at the Berkeley Unified School District, asking them to support a fundraising initiative for a student-led organization called #BHSstopharassing. The students of #BHSstopharassing are planning an educational “teach-in” […]
Posted inSchools, Video
Op-ed: A history of sexual violence at UC Berkeley
Sofie Karasek, a junior at Cal, was assaulted during her freshman year. Her experience inspired her to study the history of sexual violence at UC Berkeley and to express her views in the video, below, which was produced by Youth Radio. Karasek recently testified before the state legislature about the university’s sexual harassment and sexual assault policies. […]