Anonymous tip line takes action

For many years students and staff have been accused of bullying, harassment and discrimination. Including the recent public notice from a former teacher license being revoked due to sexual harassment accusations. 

The administration and school board have developed a way to try to make these allegations easier to report.

The tip-line has several ways to submit tips, including texting or calling a given phone number or sending an email to an address made explicitly for tips. They have also collaborated with a company (Vector Solutions) to allow students to submit a tip through a website. The site has a section for a “general tip” and one for “bullying, harassment and intimidation.”

The tip form asks for the name of the victim, offender, their grade, school, and age. It also asks for a witness with the same questions. The form then asks what form of bullying it is with the choice of physical, verbal, social, or electronic. 

For each form of bullying, the site has boxes to check what you have experienced during your bullying and harassment. Some of these choices include name-calling, inappropriate sexual comments, taunting or threatening to cause harm. Tippers must also state the location where the harassment or bullying took place as well as the date and time. The page also asks you to write a summary of what happened, including what the offender said or did, why it happened, and if the victim was physically hurt after the incident.

The general tip section is not as specific. It asks for the subject of the tip and a summary of your information. The school has advertised the tip lines through posters in hallways and classrooms. The signs state that “Anyone can make an anonymous report to MSD Washington Township Schools.”