7:240 - Code of Conduct for Participants at Extracurricular Activities

The Superintendent or designee, using input from coaches and sponsors of extracurricular activities, shall develop a conduct code for all participants in extracurricular activities consistent with School Board policy. The conduct code shall: (1) require participants in extracurricular activities to conduct themselves as good citizens and exemplars of their school at all times, including after school, on days when school is not in session, and whether on or off school property; (2) emphasize that hazing and bullying activities are strictly prohibited; and (3) notify participants that failure to abide by it could result in discipline, up to and including removal from the activity. Participants who violate the conduct code will be allowed to give an explanation before being progressively disciplined. The conduct code shall be reviewed by the Building Principal periodically at his or her discretion and presented to the Board.

Participants in extracurricular activities must abide by the conduct code for the activity and Board policy 7:190, Student Behavior. All coaches and sponsors of extracurricular activities shall annually review the conduct code with participants and provide participants with a copy. In addition, coaches and sponsors of interscholastic athletic programs shall provide instruction on steroid abuse prevention to students in grades 7 through 12 participating in these programs.

Extracurricular Drug and Alcohol Testing Program

The District maintains an extracurricular drug and alcohol testing program in order to foster the health, safety, and welfare of its students. Participation in extracurricular activities is a privilege and participants need to be exemplars. The program promotes healthy and drug-free participation.

Each student and his or her parents/guardians must consent to having the student submit to random drug and alcohol testing in order to participate in any extracurricular activity. Failure to sign the District’s Consent to Participate in Extracurricular Drug and Alcohol Testing Program form will result in non-participation.

If a test is positive, the student will not participate in extracurricular activities until after a follow-up test is requested by the Building Principal or designee and the results are reported. The Building Principal or designee will request a follow-up test after such an interval of time that the substance previously found would normally be eliminated from the body. If this follow-up test is negative, the student will be allowed to resume extracurricular activities. If a positive result is obtained from the follow-up test, or any later test, the same previous procedure shall be followed.

The Superintendent or designee shall develop procedures to implement this policy. No student shall be expelled or suspended from school as a result of any verified positive test conducted under this program other than when independent reasonable suspicion of drug and/or alcohol usage exists. This program does not affect the District policies, practices, or rights to search or test any student who at the time exhibits cause for reasonable suspicion of drug and/or alcohol use.

Performance Enhancing Drug Testing of High School Student Athletes

The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) prohibits participants in an athletic activity sponsored or sanctioned by IHSA from ingesting or otherwise using any performance enhancing substance on its banned substance list, without a written prescription and medical documentation provided by a licensed physician who evaluated the student-athlete for a legitimate medical condition. IHSA administers a performance-enhancing substance testing program. Under this program, student athletes are subject to random drug testing for the presence in their bodies of performance-enhancing substances on the IHSA’s banned substance list. In addition to being penalized by IHSA, a student may be disciplined according to Board policy 7:190, Student Behavior.

LEGAL REF.: Mahanoy Area Sch. Dist. v. B.L., 141 S.Ct. 2038 (2021).

Bd. of Educ. of Independent Sch. Dist. No. 92 v. Earls, 536 U.S. 822 (2002).

Vernonia Sch. Dist. 475 v. Acton, 515 U.S. 646 (1995).

Clements v. Bd. of Educ. of Decatur, 133 Ill.App.3d 531 (4th Dist. 1985).

Kevin Jordan v. O’Fallon THSD 203, 302 Ill.App.3d 1070 (5th Dist. 1999).

Todd v. Rush County Schs., 133 F.3d 984 (7th Cir. 1998).

105 ILCS 5/24-24, 5/27-23.3, and 25/2.

CROSS REF.: 5:280 (Duties and Qualifications), 6:190 (Extracurricular and Co-Curricular Activities), 7:180 (Prevention of and Response to Bullying, Intimidation, and Harassment), 7:190 (Student Behavior), 7:300 (Extracurricular Athletics)

Adopted: February 28, 2022

AP-1 7:240

AP-2 2:40