Sending a message that hazing will not be tolerated, the Fargo School Board directed administrators on Tuesday to develop stronger policies prohibiting the activity.
While the district's Activities Handbook addresses hazing, the district could benefit from adopting a stronger stance against it, Superintendent David Flowers said.
The move comes while school administrators continue to investigate complaints of a possible hazing incident in which several upper-class North High School students may have injured underclassmen during a paddling ritual. The incident happened off school property after school was out for the summer.
Flowers said Tuesday that administrators have struggled to learn details about the complaint, despite meeting with parents and students.
"Hazing, by its very nature, is a conspiracy of silence," he said. "The victims feel they can't divulge the perpetrators. We haven't been able to break through the barriers."
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Parents and students have told administrators they expect retribution from staff and classmates if they identify who was involved in the incident.
"It's an impasse," Flowers said. "It's discouraging."
Board member Arlette Preston asked that when the investigation is completed, administrators report to the board what procedures were followed.
"We need to know how we can prevent this in the future and whether more training is necessary," she said.
Board member Robin Nelson also asked administrators to investigate prior hazing complaints to identify what steps haven't worked.
"It seems there may be some glitches in the reporting system," she said.
It's important for the board, administrators, staff, coaches and parents to speak in a unified voice that hazing will not be tolerated, Flowers said.
A stronger administrative policy likely will include more specific consequences, he said. For example, students involved in hazing rituals would be kicked off the team or club. The activities handbook now says involvement "will result in disciplinary action."
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Flowers said the district also needs to build trust among parents, staff and students so they are more comfortable reporting possible hazing.
"We've told students and parents, we can't act unless you tell us," he said. "Everyone owns a piece of this problem."
Readers can reach Forum reporter Erin Hemme Froslie at (701) 241-5534
