Appropriate Student Boundaries
Policy 5-303
Scope:
The Governing Board adopts this policy to promote safe environments for student learning and engagement, including environments in which adult-student interactions remain professional and appropriate.
1. Professional Boundaries Between Pupils and Covered Individuals
In accordance with Education Code section 32100, District employees, adult volunteers, and school contractors (collectively “Covered Individual”), are required to maintain appropriate professional boundaries with students at all times. As such, interactions with students shall at all times serve a legitimate purpose directly related to instruction or other duties the Covered Individual is required to perform. Additionally, Covered Individuals shall avoid engaging in any behavior with a student that does create, or reasonably creates the appearance of, an inappropriate student relationship, whether from the perspective of a student, staff member, parent/guardian, community member, or any other party.
2. Examples of Prohibited Behavior
By way of illustration, not limitation, Covered Individuals shall not engage in the following behavior, which presumptively violates their obligation maintain appropriate student boundaries:
Maintaining a romantic relationship with a student, regardless of age.
Touching a student for a purpose other than that necessary to perform assigned duties or responsibilities
Making comments to a student of a sexual or obscene nature, whether joking or serious
Meeting, or attempting to meet, with a student outside of school without express parental consent or as otherwise necessary to perform assigned duties
Providing undue personal attention or privileges to a student in a way that reasonably suggests an improper motive
Electronically communicating, or attempting to communicate, with a student outside of school through any means other than a District-approved communications system without the express consent of the student’s parent/guardian, and without providing a copy of such communication to the parent/guardian and the District
“Friending,” “following,” or otherwise interacting with students over any social media platform
The above list is not exhaustive. Covered Individuals remain responsible for ensuring that all behavior remains consistent with the terms of this policy, and as reasonably directed by the Superintendent or designee or site administration.
3. School Facilities and Furnishings
District school facilities and furnishings, including classroom and nonclassroom environments, shall be maintained, arranged, and used in a manner that promotes safe environments for learning and engagement and allows for reasonable adult supervision.