School districts are required to have an anonymous reporting system available for students to report instances of bullying, cyberbullying, harassment, or other student safety concerns. Threat assessment procedures must now also provide confidentiality for a district employee reporting a potential threat. However, the district must maintain a record of the identity of the reporting staff. The threat assessment team and law enforcement will have access to the reporting staff’s identity as needed to investigate the reported threat.

Anonymous reporting provides a tool, whether through a website, application, or phone number, in which a person can report concerning behaviors without having to identify themselves as the reporter. As a best practice, districts are encouraged to provide multiple reporting mechanisms, including anonymous reporting options, to encourage people to report concerning behaviors such as bullying, talk of or posts on suicide or self-harm, dating violence, and other dangerous, threatening behaviors. This ensures that all safety concerns are reported.