Policies & Safety

Hudson Lab School believes that all students should have a safe and inclusive school environment. Bullying is wholly inconsistent with the values and principles of HLS and is not tolerated.  

On October 23, 2025 the Jack Reid law was enacted in New York. The Jack Reid Law states that non-public schools are required to:

• Adopt a clear policy defining and prohibiting bullying and harassment

• Require school staff to promptly report and document instances of bullying and harassment

• Promptly investigate instances of bullying and harassment

• Communicate age-appropriate information to victims about the outcome of the investigation and take action to protect the victim’s safety

• Ensure that the bullying and harassment has stopped and there is no retaliation

Definitions & Applicability

• “School property” is defined broadly: buildings, playgrounds, parking lots, buses… and any land within the real-property boundary.

• “School function” means nonpublic-school–sponsored extra-curricular events/activities.

• “Bullying” and “harassment” (including “cyber-bullying”) are defined to include conduct that creates a hostile environment, interferes with a student’s educational performance or well-being, causes fear for safety, or risks substantial disruption — including off-property behavior if it foreseeably reaches school property.

Examples of bullying may include, but are not limited to:

• Social exclusion

• Threats and intimidation

• Direct physical contact, such as hitting or shoving, or attempting to make physical contact or inflict physical injury

• Public humiliation

• Verbal assaults, such as teasing or name-calling

• Creating a false profile on a social networking website, for the purpose of creating harm
  

Staff Responsibilities

• School employees who witness or receive an oral or written report about bullying and harassment are required to promptly notify the Head of School or the Head’s designee orally no later than one school day after witnessing or receiving a report of bullying and harassment

• School employees who make an initial report must submit a written report of the bullying or harassment within two school days of that initial report

• Upon a report, the principal/head (or designee) must investigate promptly, communicate findings to the victim, and take immediate and appropriate follow-up action reasonably calculated to ensure the conduct has stopped and the student is safe (including protection against retaliation).

The School will make reasonable efforts to protect students’ privacy and confidentiality and will  take effective corrective action and any appropriate remedial action including any interim support or protective measures. 

Remedial and Disciplinary Action
Any student determined by the School, in its sole discretion, to be bullying will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including expulsion.