Created for CIED 5333 SHSU, Spring 2013

1. Please come in and find your seat.
We will begin in a moment.
Help yourself to the refreshments on the table
in the back of the room.

2. DO YOU KNOW 3 WAYS A TEACHER CAN BECOME
INVOLVED WITH A STUDENT IN AN IMPROPER
RELATIONSHIP?
USE THE INDEX CARDS AT YOUR TABLE TO
WRITE DOWN YOUR 3 WAYS INDIVIDUALLY.
(5 MINUTES)
NOW, LET’S SHARE! EVERYONE INTRODUCE
THEMSELVES AND ONE WAY A TEACHER CAN
BECOME INVOLVED WITH A STUDENT.

3. IMPROPER
EDUCATOR AND
STUDENT
RELATIONSHIPS

4.  What constitutes an improper relationship
between an educator and a student;
 Criminal, school district policy violations, and
unprofessional
 Consequences of having an improper
relationship with a student; and
 Strategies to avoid getting involved in a
relationship with a student.

5.  The Texas Penal Code is a body of laws specific
to the people in and living in Texas with regards
to the criminal justice system.
 Texas Educator's Code of Ethics is found in the
Texas Administration Code, Title 19 Part 7
Chapter 247 Rule 247.2. It is a set of standards
for professional ethical conduct, practices, and
performance for educators in the State of Texas.
 Improper is defined as not in accordance with
propriety of behavior, manners; unsuitable;
inappropriate; abnormal; or irregular.

6.  An Educator is defined as a person who
teaches or educates. However, for the
purpose of the State of Texas Penal Code
21.12 Improper Relationship between
educator and student, an educator is any
employee of a primary or secondary, public
or private school. The Educator must work at
the same school as the student for criminal
charges to be filed.

7.  A Student is any one enrolled in school or
college engaged in learning.
 Sexual Contact is defined by the State of Texas
Penal Code 21.01 as any touching of the
anus, breast, or any part of the genitals of
another person with intent to arouse or gratify
the sexual desire of any person.
 Deviate Sexual Intercourse means any contact
between any part of the genitals of one person
and the mouth or anus of another person; or the
penetration of the genitals or the anus of
another person with an object.
AND…

8.  Public Servant is a person in public service. The State of
Texas defines it as "a person
elected, selected, appointed, employed, or otherwise
designated as one of the following, even if he has not yet
qualified for office or assumed his duties:
 A) an officer, employee, or agent of government;
 B) a juror or grand juror; or
 C) an arbitrator, referee, or other person who is authorized
by law or private written agreement to hear or determine
a cause or controversy; or
 D) an attorney at law or notary public when participating
in the performance of a governmental function; or
 E) a candidate for nomination or election to public office;
or
 F) a person who is performing a governmental function
under a claim of right although he is not legally qualified
to do so.

10. Spring ISD Assistant Principal had sex with
student at prom event

11. GCISD Teacher Arrested For Improper
Student Relationship

12. Pasadena ISD teacher accused of having
improper relationships with 4 students

13. On average since the beginning of January
there have been 2 reports a week of an
improper teacher student relationship.
This high number is being referred to as an
“epidemic” by officials in education and law
enforcement.

15. § 21.12 IMPROPER RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
EDUCATOR AND STUDENT.
When ANY employee of the school has a
relationship with a student that attends the same
school as the employee, and the employee engages
in sexual contact, sexual intercourse, or deviate
sexual intercourse with that student.
THIS INCLUDES THE SCHOOL JANITOR TOO!

16. BY TEXAS LAW- You have committed a
Second Degree Felony!
AND…If you broke any other laws, including
changing his/her grade, you will charged with
those too! Every law broken will be counted
against YOU!

17. A male high school teacher meets a woman at
a bar. They begin a sexual relationship. The
school year begins and the teacher discovers
the woman is in his class. She is a senior in
high school. The male teacher did not know
her true age.
IS IT CRIMINAL?

18. YES, IT COULD BE!!!
HE WOULD NEED TO REPORT IT TO HIS
ADMINISTRATOR AND END THE RELATIONSHIP
ON THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL…WITH AN
ADMINISTRATOR PRESENT.
THE TEACHER MAY ASK TO TRANSFER TO
ANOTHER SCHOOL, OR TRANSFER THE STUDENT
TO PREVENT ANY FURTHER ACTION.

19. Standard 3.6. The educator shall not solicit
or engage in sexual conduct or a romantic
relationship with a student or minor.
Standard 3.8. The educator shall maintain
appropriate professional educator-student
relationships and boundaries based on a
reasonably prudent educator standard.

20. Standard 3.9.
The educator shall refrain from
inappropriate communication with a
student or minor, including, but not limited
to, electronic communication such as cell
phone, text messaging, email, instant
messaging, blogging, or other social
network communication. Factors that may
be considered in assessing whether the
communication is inappropriate……

21. A teacher “friends” her students on her
Facebook account. While online, the teacher
talks to the student for hours before admitting
she hates her job and where she works. The
teacher even tells the student about how
“dumb” her co-teachers are.
IMPROPER RELATIONSHIP?

22. YES!
ALTHOUGH IT MAY NOT
APPEAR CRIMINAL, IT
WOULD BE AGAINST THE
TEXAS TEACHER’S CODE
OF ETHICS…AND YOUR
SCHOOL DISTRICT’S
POLICIES…

23. “Best Practice Guidelines for Staff
Be mindful of what you say: When you choose to go public with your opinions via social
media, you are personally responsible for your commentary. If your personal social
media site makes it clear that you are a CSISD employee, it should include a simple and
visible disclaimer such as “These are my personal views and not those of CSISD.”
Do not use commentary deemed to be defamatory, obscene, proprietary, or
libelous. For these reasons, employees should exercise caution with regard to
exaggeration, colorful language, guesswork, obscenity, copyrighted materials, legal
conclusions, and
derogatory remarks. An employee’s private life is his or her own.
However, employees must be sensitive to avoid activities in social media
environments that reflect negatively on CSISD. Therefore, employees must follow and
be guided by CSISD’s values and philosophy (see Employee Code of Conduct and
Acceptable Use Policy).
Be respectful to your colleagues: Be thoughtful and accurate in your posts, and respect
other employees. All CSISD employees can be viewed as representatives of the
CSISD, which can add significance to your public reflections on the CSISD, whether you
intend to or not. Get Your Facts Straight: If you wish to participate in social
media, make sure you have your facts straight. If there is someone at CSISD who knows
more about the topic than you, check with them before. Be sure the information you
post is
100% accurate.”

24.  Guidelines for Relationships with Students. Administrators, staff
members and faculty of Catholic schools must treat all students with
respect. Administrators, staff members and faculty are to maintain
professional relationships with students at all times.
 Administrators, staff members and faculty must attend and complete the
Ethics and Integrity Workshop sponsored by the Diocese of Austin, and
must adhere to all policies presented therein.
 Administrators, staff members and faculty must never exploit their
authority over students to promote personal gain, nor may they use their
position to demean or humiliate students.
 Students should not be subjected to violent displays of temper; students
may never be touched punitively, and corporal punishment of any sort is
forbidden.
 Administrators, staff members and faculty are to treat all students
equally. Neither favoritism towards, nor bias against, individual students
or groups of students is to be exhibited.
 Administrators, staff members and faculty should avoid using students for
babysitting at the school or at the faculty and/or staff member’s home.
 Administrators, staff members and faculty should avoid bringing young
children to the school during school hours.

25.  Student choices are restricted because they are minors;
whatever they do outside the normal flow of school and school-
related activities must be done only with prior, explicit
knowledge and permission of their parents/guardians.
 Topics or vocabulary which could not be used comfortably in the
presence of parents or colleagues should not be employed with
students. Discussions of a sexual nature may only take place in an
appropriate educational context. Sexual jokes, slang, or
innuendo are not to be used with students. Materials that might
be considered by some as offensive should not be used with
students.
 Administrators, staff members and faculty must observe limits in
physical contact with students. Students should never be touched
in any way that could be construed as being inappropriately
affectionate.
 Administrators, staff members and faculty should never meet
alone with a student, or even several students, in isolated places
or in rooms with closed doors.
 Administrators, staff members and faculty may not date a
student. Breach of this code will result in immediate dismissal.

26.  Administrators, staff members and faculty must avoid
assuming the role of “father” or “mother” figures in the
lives of students; this tends to create an excessive
emotional attachment on the part of all parties involved
and can result in conflicts with parents/guardians.
 Students may not go to the residence of any
administrator, staff member or faculty, other than for a
school-sponsored activity. Such an activity requires prior
and detailed knowledge by, as well as express permission
from, Administration and the students’ parents, as well as
the presence of other adult chaperones.
 School-sponsored student activities and trips must have a
sufficient number of adult chaperones to insure adequate
supervision.
 Driving students is not permitted unless it is to or from a
school-sponsored activity and has been arranged in
advance with appropriate parental permissions and
administrative approvals.

27.  Alcohol should not be consumed in the
presence of students, unless the
administration has authorized its use at a
school-sponsored event. Administrators, staff
members and faculty may never provide
students with alcohol or drugs, or
medications of any sort.
 Administrators, staff members and faculty
should avoid situations in which they feel
they must take stands against the
administration, or against other staff
members or faculty.

28. A student flirts with a teacher and indicates
the desire to begin a sexual relationship with
the teacher. The teacher reports the student’s
behavior to his Administrator.
THIS IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO! ALSO, MAKE
SURE SOMEONE IS ALWAYS WITH YOU WHEN A
STUDENT LIKE THIS IS AROUND. YOU WILL
NEED A WITNESS!

29. Inappropriate relationships that violate your
school policy can end your job and your career.
Sexual relationships can end your job and
career. It can also change your address to a
prison’s address.

30. Loss of teaching
certificate/Must change career
Convicted of Second Degree
Felony…and possibly MORE!
Arrest/Prison time served

31. YOU MUST BE PROFESSIONAL AT ALL TIMES
WITH YOUR STUDENTS!
MAINTAIN PROFESSIONALISM, AND YOU WON’T
PUT YOURSELF IN A SITUATION WHERE YOU
COULD EVEN BE ACCUSED OF HAVING AN
IMPROPER RELATIONSHIP WITH A STUDENT.

33. All email communications should be conducted
through the teacher’s designated school email
account. Every email sent to, or received by, a
student or parents should be printed out and
placed into the student’s file.

34. All spoken communications should be done via
the school phone. Under no circumstances
should the teacher use his or her own cell
phone to speak to a student or to send or
receive text messages. All phone
communications should be noted in a memo
and placed into the student’s file.

35. All personal communications between students and
teachers conducted online through forums or social
media should be strictly prohibited.
Teachers are allowed to create classroom websites
or blogs—through the school’s server—that operate
in real time, incorporating similar features to
those on social media sites. These sites can update
students and parents on classroom activities.
Communication with questions and answers, chat
and open discussion and posting approved
images/videos are acceptable. All activity on these
sites should be school-monitored.

36. Student/Teacher Conferences:
All conferences should take place with the
door open and colleagues should be notified.
Tutoring/Extra Help Sessions:
All private tutoring and extra help meetings
should be conducted in the library/resource
center with others present.

37. In the case that a student needs counsel not
based on academic need, the teacher should
enlist the presence of support staff. All
meetings should be noted in memo form and
placed into the student’s file.

38. All meetings with students that are not based
on academic need are intensely discouraged.

39. Are you ready?

41. 10 POINTS PER QUESTION.

42. NOW…