Descriptor Title: Descriptor Code: Adopted Date: GANG POLICY JDCA November, 2010 Reviewed Date: Revised Date: January, 2012 The DeSoto County School District prohibits gang activity, defined hereinafter. Students who engage in gang activity will be subject to discipline pursuant to the District’s Code of Discipline, up to and including possible expulsion. A “gang” is defined as a group that initiates, advocates, or promotes illegal activities, activities that threaten the safety or well being of persons or property on school grounds, or at supervised school functions, or activities that are harmful to the education process. Prohibited “gang activity” includes, but is not limited to: (1) Soliciting students to become gang members; (2) Participating in gang initiation or other gang ceremonies; (3) Deliberately wearing, displaying or possessing prohibited gang symbols; (4) Engaging in gang-related violence or threats of violence; (5) Threatening others, including threats by brandishing a weapon or a replica of a weapon on school campuses, or at supervised school functions; or (6) Engaging in any behavior undertaken in such a manner as to be reasonably likely to incite violence or endanger persons or property. Prohibited “gang symbols” may include any type of clothing decoration, jewelry, patches, bandanas, gang names, depiction of gang signs or symbols, and/or body signal/movement which is recognized as denoting a gang or is a sign, signal or movement utilized in connection with gang communications, including, but not limited to those appearing with the “Gang Awareness” pamphlet attached hereto as well as the additions thereto in the future. School officials will keep a booklet containing known “gang symbols” in each school office. In addition, prohibited “gang symbols” shall be published at the start of each school year in the Student Handbook. Students and parents who may have questions regarding this policy should contact the school principal for further clarification of any part of the policy. Students may be disciplined for engaging in any activity prohibited by this policy including the prohibited “gang activity” enumerated in the third paragraph hereof. District officials will cooperate with local law enforcement to provide the school with gang information to aid in the prevention of violence, gangs, and drugs in our schools. This information shall include, but is not limited to: gang names, colors, symbols, signals, and gestures associated with gangs (all of which are prohibited gang activity). School officials will publish notice of these prohibited names, signals, gestures, colors and symbols in the school office as made available by local police department and government authorities or otherwise made known to school officials. Amendments and updates to the list of prohibited gang symbols and gang activity and/or handbook must be submitted to the Director of Pupil Services for approval. Thereafter, the Director of Pupil Services will distribute the amended and/or updated information to the appropriate district officials. The school will continually update the information posted in the school office relating to prohibited gang symbols and gang activity. Notice of updated prohibited gang activity and/or gang symbols will be sent home with each student, said notice shall advise students that the prohibited gang activity and gang symbols has been updated with updates maintained in the school office and the District website. Each school shall make regular announcements to the student body advising that gang activity and gang symbols are strictly prohibited. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, nothing herein prohibits the display of recognized religious symbols such as the Star of David or the Crescent or the Cross unless these or other religious symbols are altered or augmented in some way. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, wearing of clothing or particular colors in and of itself is not prohibited unless the clothing (color or otherwise) is worn in combination with other prohibited gang signs or symbols. The wearing or displaying in any manner of gang names however, is prohibited. DeSoto County Board of Education Page 2 of 2 THE FOLLOWING IS A LIST OF PROHIBITED GANG SIGNS, SYMBOLS, SIGNALS, WORDS AND CONDUCT PROHIBITED Notwithstanding, anything to the contrary contained herein, nothing contained herein prohibits the display of recognized religious symbols such as, the Star of David or the Crescent or the Cross unless, these, or other religious symbols, are altered or augmented in some way. Further, nothing contained herein shall prohibit wearing of clothing of particular colors, in and of itself, unless the clothing (color or otherwise) is worn in combination with other prohibited gang signs or symbols. The wearing or displaying in any manner of gang names however is prohibited. 1 Gang names (the wearing or display of same being prohibited), includes the following: Vice Lords Simon City Royals Latin Kings Harvard Park Brims Brims 6-2 Brims Black P-Stone Red Clover Gangsters Black P-Stone Rangers Doubletree Villains P-Stone Rangers Piru P-Stone Nation American Nazi Party Bloods Aryan Nations Gangster Disciples The Holy Order Crips The Order Disciples The Silent Brotherhood Black Gangster Disciples White Aryan Resistance Folk Nation Church of the Creator Memphis Crips Ku Klux Klan Imperial Gangsters National Socialist White Peoples Party Maniac Latin Disciples National Socialist White Workers Party Future Stones United White Peoples Party MLDs The New Order Spanish Vice Lords National Democratic Front Spanish Cobras Skin Heads Ambrose Aryan Youth Movement Orchestra Albany Deuces Stone Freaks Athens Park Boys 4 Comer Hustlers Mafia Crips Latin Counts Latin Eagles Cobrasiones Insane Unknowns Black Peace Stone Nation 2 3 Folk Nation Identifiers Symbols are: Winged heart; devil's horns; dice; number 6; backwards swasticka; bent ear bunny head; sword; devil's tail; six point star; and pitch fork. Members of Folk Nation sets use these symbols: Pitchfork (from tattoo) Six-Pointed Star Heart or heart with wings (from Heart with horns and devil's tail tattoo) BOS or BOSS (Brothers of the Struggle or Brothers of the The number 6 Strong Struggle) Folk Nation group members use right identifiers to distinguish themselves from the People Nation groups. Right identification is displayed by the following: Wearing articles of clothing to the right, such as caps, bandannas, and belt buckles. Wearing jewelry to the right. Rolling up the right pant leg. 4 FOLK NATION SYMBOLS SIX POINT STAR* SIX PRINCIPLES OF KING DAVID * PITCHFORKS (UP) NATION'S POWER IN THE STRUGGLE TO OVERCOME OPPRESSION SWORD LIFE AND DEATH WITHIN THE NATION AND THE STRUGGLE TO SURVIVE DEVIL’S HORNS NATIONS DETERMINATION TO OVERCOME ALL OBSTACLES DEVIL’S TAIL THE LOVE OF THE NATION NUMBERS 7 & 8 YEAR OF THE FOUNDING OF THE SONS & DAUGHTERS *ONLY IF ALTERED STAR OF DAVID; OTHERWISE SIX-­‐POINT STAR EXCLUDED AS “GANG SIGN” 5 CRIP FACTS: These alignments are often communicated in their graffiti. There are, however, areas of the country where Crips and Folk groups such as the Black Gangster Disciples are in competition for the drug trade and thus, are rivals. This is illustrated in their graffiti by use of the "eight ball." If the "eight ball" is drawn or displayed intact, then the sets are aligned. Crip Tattooing If it is cracked or drawn through, there is dissension among the groups. The "eight Crip Handsign ball" is significant because when you bring the hand sign for the Crips and the 'pitchfork' hand sign together it forms an 8-ball. Eight ball tattoo Facts - Crips Originated in Los Angeles in the late 60s Migrated throughout the United States Generally align with Folk Nation sets Extremely violent Multiracial Identifiers/symbols: o the color blue o blue bandannas and rags o use the letter "c" in place of "b" in writing in disrespect for Bloods o calling each other "Cuzz" o calling themselves "Blood Killas" (BK) o wearing British Knight (BK) tennis shoes 6 7 8 9 CRIP IDENTIFIERS COLORS: BLUE (BLACK) PURPLE (GRAPE STREET CRIPS) FLAG: BLUE BANDANA PURPLE (GRAPE STREET CRIPS) DRESS: BLUE KHAKI OVERSIZED/SAGGIN’ KANSAS CITY ROYALS (KITCHEN CRIPS) L.A. LAKERS (GRAPE STREET CRIPS) FOLK NATION TILT RIGHT 10 GANGS AND SUPPORTING TEAM CLOTHING The following information details current ways in which gang members are using popular sports clothing to represent individual gangs. Both professional and college teams are represented. It should be noted that the sporting of clothing does not always signify gang affiliation. This list was compiled to make the reader aware of possible gang involvement. TEAM GANG HOW USED Atlanta Braves People Initial "A" for Almighty Boston Celtics Spanish Cobra Colors: Green/Black British Knights Crip Initials "B" & "K" for Blood Killers Burger King Crip Initials "B" & "K" for Blood Killers Charlotte Hornets 4 Corner Hustlers Initials "C" & "H" Charlotte Hornets Imperial Gangsters Colors: Black/Pink Chicago Bulls Vice Lords Colors: Black/Red Latin Counts Mickey Cobras/Cobrastones Chicago Bulls Black Peace Stones Nation "Bulls" stands for "Boy You Look Like Stone" Chiago BlackHawks Vice Lords Colors: Black/Red; Pitch-Fork Scar Chicago Cubs Spanish Cobra Initial "C" Cincinnati Reds 4 Corner Hustlers Put a "4" next to the "C" and an "H" inside of the "C" Colorado Rockies Simon City Royals They place a white "S" in front of the "C" Columbia Knights Bloods Initials "C" & "K" for Crip Killer Converse