GBEAA - Appropriate Staff and Student Boundaries

Preamble:

The spirit and intent of this policy is meant to help both staff and students understand and appreciate the delicate necessary balance that exists in their relationships.  This policy serves to define clearly the boundaries that their respective roles dictate.  The Kearsarge Regional School District is committed to fostering a positive learning and working environment for all students and staff in order to promote educational excellence.  The Kearsarge Regional School District’s Appropriate Staff / Student Relationships Policy shall serve as a statement on appropriate conduct and relationships between students and staff of the Kearsarge Regional School District.

Definitions:

For purposes of this policy, “staff” refers to all Kearsarge Regional School District employees, contracted service personnel, SAU employees, and any volunteers working on school property.

For purposes of this policy, “student” refers to all Kearsarge Regional School District individuals in grades preschool through twelve.

Policy:

All staff must be aware that students of all ages and intellect are susceptible to influence by both staff and fellow peers.  While this influence most often yields positive educational results, it can also be used in a manner that is entirely inappropriate.  Accordingly, staff must be cognizant of their appropriate roles and professional duties in the development of students.  Similarly, staff must be cognizant of the imbalance of power that exists in relationships between staff and student.  This imbalance of power can remain long after the student has graduated from the Kearsarge Regional School District.  Due to this imbalance of power, students are vulnerable and cannot always make proper decisions with regard to interactions with staff.  Thus, it is the School District’s expectation that staff will recognize and respect this vulnerability when interacting with students.  Accordingly, it is the responsibility of staff not to take advantage of, or otherwise exploit this imbalance of power, to further any non-educational, personal, or inappropriate objective.  In particular, staff members are prohibited from engaging in any romantic, sexual, or physical relationship with students, including former students, for a period of up to eighteen (18) months after graduation. This policy shall not include employees who are currently enrolled high school students. 

Staff are responsible for appropriate and professional conduct in all settings and in all forms of communication including, but not limited to, verbal communication/speech, written communications, Internet and e-mail communications, physical gestures, motions or any other form of interaction.  Personal relationships with students that are not related to legitimate educational purposes may also violate this policy depending upon the circumstances.  However, it is understood that many personal relationships between staff and students are entirely appropriate, including, but not limited to, those that develop through mutual interests, family connections, sports, extracurricular activities, church, community or neighborhood interactions. So long as these relationships with students are undertaken with parental knowledge and maintain appropriate boundaries consistent with shared community values and societal norms, they shall not be deemed a violation of this policy.  Regardless of a student’s advances, gestures or comments, it is the staff’s responsibility to terminate any relationship that would otherwise violate this policy.  As such, it is the staff’s responsibility to ensure that student relationships remain within appropriate boundaries.  Failure to adhere to the requirements of this policy may result in severe consequences, up to and including termination.

This policy does not preclude legitimate, non-sexual, physical conduct such as the use of necessary restraints to avoid physical harm to persons or property, or conduct otherwise necessary to respond to, or otherwise address, legitimate educational situations or objectives. Staff shall not conduct activities, which are not directly related to school functions, on a group or one-on-one basis with students outside of school without parental permission and notice to the District.  Similarly, staff shall not single out students from the general student population for special treatment (e.g., gifts, dinners, and rides) without prior consent of the student’s parent and/or advance notice to the School District.  The District must approve all staff activities with students occurring outside of the classroom or without an educational purpose or objective.

Any question by staff as to the appropriateness of an activity, relationship, or interaction with a student should be directed to the principal or designee.  All inquiries regarding the appropriateness of an activity or relationship will be confidential to the fullest extent appropriate.  Any and all staff that suspect an inappropriate relationship may exist between a staff member and a student are required to immediately notify, orally or in writing, the principal or designee.  Submission of a good faith report of a suspected violation of this policy will not adversely affect the reporting individual’s employment.

The staff of the Kearsarge Regional School District must understand that this Appropriate Staff / Student Relationships Policy is a condition of employment.  As a condition of employment, the Kearsarge Regional School District reserves the right to monitor, access, investigate and/or review, at any time and without advance notice to staff, the appropriateness of any activity or relationship between staff and students, in order to protect the health, welfare, and safety of the District, its staff and students.

See Also:

ACAA – Harassment and Sexual Harassment of Students
GBEA – Staff Ethics

Legal References:

N.H. Code Admin. R. Ed 510

First Reading: August 12, 2021
Second Reading: August 26, 2021
Third Reading: September 9, 2021
Adopted: September 9, 2021
Last Review:  September 9, 2021