Guidebook on Harassment Prevention Due Out

By David J. Hoff

Washington

While some school officials are battling over student-harassment policies in court, federal and state law-enforcement officials want others to know how to prevent such problems and deal with them fairly when they do occur.

The Department of Education and the National Association of Attorneys General this week planned to release a guidebook recommending procedures that school districts should adopt to prevent sexual, physical, and emotional abuse, and to punish students and teachers who violate those codes.

"We think we have developed a state-of-the-art guide to provide practical information of how to go about on a step-by-step basis creating a comprehensive program to ensure a safe learning environment," Richard W. Cole, the civil rights chief for the Massachusetts attorney general's office and a contributor to the guidebook, said in...