The Safety & Security Department's role at Perkiomen School is to ensure a safe, secure, and friendly educational environment for all students, faculty, staff, and visitors of Perkiomen School. We provide high visibility, professional, and courteous service. We have a strong working relationship with the Upper Perkiomen Police Department, East Greenville Police Department, Pennsburg Fire Company, and Upper Perkiomen Ambulance, all who provide emergency services to Perkiomen School.
Timothy J. Piazza Antihazing Law
In October 2018, the Pennsylvania State legislature enacted the Timothy J. Piazza Antihazing Law, a new state anti-hazing law that amends the state crime codes to address and prevent hazing in secondary schools and institutions of higher education in the Commonwealth.
Hazing includes any action or situation which recklessly or intentionally endangers the mental or physical health or safety of a person or which willfully destroys or removes public or private property for the purpose of initiation or admission into or affiliation with, or as a condition of or continued membership in, any organization. The term shall include, but not limited to, any brutality of a physical nature, such as whipping, beating, branding, forced calisthenics, exposure to the elements, forced consumption of any food, liquor, drug or other substance, or any other force physical activity which would subject the individual to extreme mental stress, such as sleep deprivation, forced exclusion from social contact, forced conduct which could result in extreme embarrassment, or any other forced activity which could adversely affect the mental health or dignity of the individual, or any willful destruction or removal of public or private property. For the purpose of this definition, any activity as described in definition upon which the initiation or admission into or affiliation with or continued membership in an organization is directly or indirectly conditioned shall be presumed to be “forced” activity, the willingness of an individual to participate in such activity notwithstanding.
Any instance of harassment must be reported to the Assistant Head of School for Student Life and Head of the Middle School for appropriate action. Harassment is a violation of Major School Rules and will be handled accordingly.
The school will investigate all allegations in as prompt and confidential manner as possible and will take appropriate corrective action when warranted. All complaints and findings will be documented. Any employee or student who is determined, as a result of such an investigation, to have engaged in harassment, hazing, demeaning behaviors and/or bullying in violation of this policy will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment in the case of an employee and dismissal in the case of a student or volunteer.
Retaliation in any form against an employee, student, or volunteer who exercises his or her right to make a good faith complaint or harassment, hazing, demeaning behavior, or bullying under school policy is strictly prohibited. Any employee, student, or volunteer who retaliates against another employee, student, or volunteer for making a complaint of one of these behaviors will be subjected to disciplinary action. Disciplinary action may include termination of employment in the case of an employee or suspension or dismissal from school in the case of a student or volunteer.
Safe2Say Something
We are happy to announce the launch of the Safe2Say Something (S2SS) anonymous reporting system. The Safe2Say Something system, mandated under Pennsylvania State Law/Act 44, helps to teach students, faculty, and staff how to recognize warning signs and signals within social media, of individuals who may be a threat to themselves or others to “Say Something” to a trusted adult OR use its anonymous reporting system. Please see the website (https://www.safe2saypa.org/) for more information.
