5253P: Maintaining Professional Employee/Student Boundaries

The purpose of this procedure is to provide all employees, students, volunteers, families, and community members with information, definitions, examples of boundary invasions, and steps to report suspected violations of Policy 5253 and this procedure.

In a professional employee/student relationship, school employees and volunteers establish and maintain boundaries that are consistent with the legal and ethical duty of care that school personnel have for students.

Definition

A boundary invasion is an act or pattern of behavior by an employee or volunteer that does not have a bona fide health, safety, or educational purpose for the student. Situations as defined below, are the opposite of maintaining professional boundaries with students.

Boundary Invasions

Staff members and volunteers shall not engage in boundary invasions of students, which include, but are not limited to, the following:

A.     Any type of inappropriate physical contact with a student or any other conduct that might be considered harassment under Policy 3207 (Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying) or Policy 3205 (Sexual Harassment);

B.     Showing intimate or unduly revealing photos/videos, pornography or other inappropriate images to a student or asking a student to provide the same;

C.     Taking inappropriate photos/videos of a student, or an inordinate number of photos/videos of a student;

D.     Any type of flirtatious or sexual communications with a student;

E.      Singling out a particular student or students for personal attention and friendship beyond the professional employee/student relationship. This includes, but is not limited to, favoring one or more students with special privileges, allowing them to remain in the classroom during non-class times, unilaterally removing or placing a student in a class or activity, or engaging in “peer like” behavior with one or more students;

F.      Providing alcohol, drugs, or tobacco to students or failing to report their use of these substances;

G.     For non-guidance/counseling employees, allowing or encouraging students to confide their personal or family problems and/or relationships. If a student initiates such discussions, employees shall refer the student to an appropriate guidance/counseling employee. In either case, employee involvement should be limited to a direct connection to the student’s educational experience;

H.     Sending students on personal errands unrelated to any educational purpose;

I.       Banter, allusions, jokes, or innuendos of a sexual nature with students;

J.      Commenting on a student’s appearance if student dress is unduly revealing or if the comments have no educational value;

K.       Disclosing personal, sexual, family, employment concerns or other private matters to one or more students;

L.      Addressing students or permitting students to address employees or volunteers with personalized terms of endearment, pet names or otherwise in an overly familiar manner;

M.      Maintaining personal contact with a student outside of school by phone, text message, e-mail, instant message or Internet chat rooms, social networking platforms (friending or following), or letters (beyond homework or other legitimate school business) without the awareness of the parent/guardian;

N.    Exchanging or providing personal gifts, cards, or personal letters with an individual student;

O.     Socializing or spending time with students including but not limited to activities such as going out for beverages, meals or movies, shopping, traveling and recreational activities) outside of school-sponsored events, without the parent/guardian’s awareness, except as participants in organized community activities;

P.     Giving a student a ride alone in a vehicle in a non-emergency situation or failing to timely report that occurrence;

Q.      Providing a student with information or views about other students or staff members without a legitimate educational purpose;

R.     Asking a student to keep a secret or not to disclose any inappropriate communications or conduct;

S.     Unnecessarily invading a student’s privacy, (e.g., walking in on a student in the bathroom or a hotel room on a field trip);

T.      Being alone with an individual student out of the view of others; and/or

U.      Any home visits unless other adults are present, the student(s) are invited for an activity related to school, and the student’s parent/guardian and an administrator are informed and have consented.

Reporting Violations

All school employees and volunteers must notify the supervisor of an employee or volunteer suspected of engaging in any type of boundary invasion toward a student within 48 hours of becoming aware of the suspected boundary invasion. Reports may be made verbally or in writing.

Employees and volunteers should:

·       Not delay reporting suspicious behavior;

·       Not attempt to determine if there is an explanation of any concerning behavior by an employee or volunteer;

·       Not confront or discuss the matter with the staff member at issue or with anyone else, but maintain confidentiality to protect privacy and avoid rumors; and

·       Document for their own records, that they notified an administrator, including to whom, what, and when they reported.

Students and their parents/guardians are strongly encouraged to notify the principal (or other administrator) if they believe an employee or volunteer may be engaging in conduct that violates this policy.

 

Investigation and Documentation

The administrator to whom a boundary invasion concern is reported must:

·       Document, in writing, the concern and provide a copy of the documentation to the Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources or designee.

·       The Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources or designee will see that the matter is investigated and documented per the appropriate policy or procedure that applies. Investigations may be conducted by school administrators or other designees as determined by Human Resources.

·       If a boundary invasion(s) has occurred without a legitimate educational or safety purpose, appropriate action will be taken and documented.

·       The Human Resources department shall maintain a record of documented reports, corrective action, and other relevant documents as a result of professional boundary investigations.

 

Reporting Suspected Child Abuse or Sexual Abuse

All school personnel who have reasonable cause to believe that a student has experienced child abuse and/or sexual abuse are required to make a report to Child Protective Services or law enforcement pursuant to Policy 3421 and Procedure 3421P (Child Abuse and Neglect), and RCW 26.44.020. Reporting suspected abuse to the building principal or supervisor does not relieve professional certificated school personnel from their reporting responsibilities and timelines.

Disciplinary Action for Employees

Employee violations of this policy or failure to report suspected child abuse or sexual abuse may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination. The Superintendent may consider reporting violations committed by certificated staff to the state Office of Professional Practices should they be deemed to violate the Code of Professional Conduct in WAC 181-87. Violations involving sexual or other abuse will also result in referral to Child Protective Services and/or law enforcement in accordance with Board Policy 3421 and Procedure 3421P.

Volunteers

Volunteers who violate Policy 5253 or this procedure may have their volunteer status restricted or terminated. Violations by volunteers may also be subject to referral to Child Protective Services and/or law enforcement should the violation involve suspected sexual or other abuse by the volunteer or a failure to report the suspected abuse.

Training

All new employees and approved volunteers will receive training on appropriate employee/student boundaries within 90 calendar days of employment or volunteers being cleared to volunteer consistent with Policy 5630 (Volunteers). Continuing employees will receive complete training every three years. Yearly refreshers shall be provided to school-based staff who work directly with students. Training may be in-person or online.

Dissemination of Policy and Reporting Protocols

This policy and procedure will be included on the district website and in all employee, student and volunteer publications. Annually, all administrators and employees will receive copies of the district’s reporting protocol.

 

 

 

Date: 02.10; 06.11, 01.22, 9.24