Philosophy:
The West Warwick School Department (“School Department”) has a responsibility to establish policies that protect the safety and well-being of students and employees, and that create and maintain a safe, supportive, and positive learning environment and workplace. The School Department affirms the responsibility of employees to abide by the standards of professional conduct, to act as role models for students at all times, and to promote the dignity, health, and safety of students. The Board further recognizes the importance of maintaining professional conduct and relationships in the workplace.
Purpose:
The purpose of this policy is to establish guidelines and standards of conduct to ensure that the relationship between School Department employees and students is professional and respectful, and to promote appropriate workplace behavior. This policy covers conduct that takes place both on and off School Department property, and both during and outside of the school day. The policy also pertains to all forms of communication that may occur between employees and students, at any time. This policy applies to School Department employees, as well as to School Department partners who work with or have contact with students.
I. DEFINITIONS:
Child Abuse: Harming or threatening to harm the physical or mental health
or welfare of a child, and as further defined in Rhode Island General Laws §
40-11-2.
Dating: Dating includes, but is not limited to, a social appointment, or
engagement, preplanned or not, in which the purpose is to initiate or continue
an intimate personal relationship for personal pleasure or sexual gratification.
School Department Partner: District contractors, consultants, vendors, representatives
from outside organizations, and volunteers who work in schools and/or have
contact with students.
Romantic and/or sexual relationship: A relationship in which individuals
become involved to the point that there is dating, exchange of personal
affection, intimate or sexually suggestive communication, emotional
attachment, or any form of sexual or physical intimacy.
Students: All individuals registered and enrolled as a student in the District,
regardless of age.
II. POLICY STATEMENT
A. Conduct with Students
1. The relationship between School Department employees/partners and students must be of a professional nature at all times. School Department employees/partners are encouraged and expected to foster positive and supportive relationships with students, recognizing students’ unique abilities, talents, and challenges, and treating all students with dignity and respect.
2. Appropriate personal boundaries must be established and maintained, and School Department employees/partners must not engage in any behavior that could reasonably lead to the appearance of impropriety. Such conduct is prohibited regardless of the student’s age, whether the student or the employee is the initiator of the behavior, and regardless of whether the student reciprocates the attention. Prohibited conduct applies to actions that take place both on and off District property, during and outside of the school day, and to all forms of communication that may occur between School Department employees/District partners and students, at any time, including on social media.
3. Prohibited conduct by District employees/District partners includes, but is not limited to:
a. Dating students.
b. Flirting with students.
c. Making romantically or sexually suggestive comments to or about students.
d. Fostering, encouraging, or participating in inappropriate emotionally or socially intimate relationships with students.
e. Socializing or initiating or continuing regular communication with students for reasons not directly related to official school matters.
f. Providing drugs or alcohol to students or consuming drugs or alcohol in the presence of students.
g. Discussing sexual matters outside of an appropriate educational context, including the use of sexual jokes, slang, or innuendo.
h. Touching students punitively or touching students in any way that could be construed as romantic or sexually suggestive, including but not limited to intimately touching, fondling, or massaging.
i. Intimate physical displays of affection.
j. Accepting or giving inappropriate personal gifts.
k. Meeting alone with a student in an area that is secluded or that is not openly accessible/visible to others, such as a room without windows or without visibility through a door.
l. Romantic or sexual relations between School Department employees/District partners and students, including intimate kissing, communication of any kind that is intimate or sexual in nature, sexual intercourse.
B. Reporting Prohibited Conduct with Students
1. Any School Department employee/partner who has direct or indirect knowledge of prohibited conduct between a School Department employee/partner and a student must immediately report the conduct to the Human Resources Director. The Human Resources office will document all reports and provide said documentation to the superintendent who shall designate an investigator and determine if there has been a violation of this Policy.
2. All School Department employees/partners are required to follow the mandatory reporting requirements required under state law for reporting suspected child abuse/neglect.
Violation of any part of this policy may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination.
Policy Adopted:
9/14/21