This document from Walton County Public Schools provides guidelines for identifying and reporting educator sexual misconduct. It defines sexual harassment and misconduct, including physical, verbal, and visual forms. Educators are warned about grooming behaviors and boundary violations with students. The document outlines students' rights to report misconduct and procedures for staff to respond, including mandatory reporting to administration and authorities. It stresses the importance of professionalism and avoiding behaviors that could be perceived as inappropriate.

1. Walton County Public Schools
Identifying and Reporting
Educator Sexual Misconduct
2013-2014

2. Sexual Misconduct
 Walton County Public Schools provide
an environment free from sexual
harassment, both for our students
and our employees. This is provided
for in Board Policy GAEB/JCAC.
 School System personnel have a duty
to protect students from known or
reasonably foreseeable harm while
under our care.

3. Sexual Harassment
 Sexual harassment surfaces as
inappropriate visual, verbal and
physical conduct directed by an adult
to an adult, an adult to a student, a
student to an adult, or a student to a
student.
 Sexual harassment is, simply said, a
form of unlawful discrimination based
on sex.

4. Sexual harassment includes but is not limited to the
following behavior directed at an individual.
 Unwelcome sexual advances or request for sexual
favors.
 Unwelcome leering, staring, sexual flirtation or
propositions.
 Unwelcome sexual slurs, epithets, threats, verbal
abuse, derogatory comments or sexually degrading
descriptions.
 Unwelcome graphic verbal comments about an
individual’s body, or overly personal conversation.
 Unwelcome sexual jokes, stories, drawings, pictures
or gestures.

5. Sexual Harassment
 Unwelcome spreading of sexual rumors.
 Unwelcome touching of an individual’s body
or clothes in a sexual way.
 Cornering or blocking of normal movements
in a sexual manner.
 Displaying sexually suggestive objects in
the educational/work environment.

6. Two Forms of Sexual Harassment
 Quid pro Quo = “This for that”
Quid pro Quo means “you do
something for me and I’ll do
something for you.” In simplest
terms, it means sex for jobs or
grades.

7. Hostile Environment Sexual
Harassment
 Hostile environment sexual harassment is
the most prevalent form of sexual
harassment. It generally involves a course
of conduct rather than a single incident.
 For practical purposes, any unwelcome
sexually oriented conduct or atmosphere
that is so severe or pervasive that it is
intimidating or offensive to a “reasonable
person” of the same gender as the victim
can be construed as hostile environment
sexual harassment.

8. Sexual Misconduct
 Millions of students endure sexual
misconduct by employees of their
schools, ranging from inappropriate
jokes to forced sex
Charol Shakeshaft
Hofstra University

9. Three Forms of EducatorThree Forms of Educator
Sexual MisconductSexual Misconduct
 PhysicalPhysical:: fondling, touching orfondling, touching or
sexual abusesexual abuse
 VerbalVerbal:: commenting on a student's bodycommenting on a student's body
parts or making sexually explicit jokesparts or making sexually explicit jokes
 VisualVisual:: showing sexually explicitshowing sexually explicit
photographs, or exposing one's genitalsphotographs, or exposing one's genitals

10. Sexual MisconductSexual Misconduct
“includes behavior by an“includes behavior by an
educator that is directed ateducator that is directed at
a student and intended toa student and intended to
sexually arouse or titillatesexually arouse or titillate
the educator or the child.”the educator or the child.”
Mary Jo McGrath

11. Sexual AbuseSexual Abuse
is defined asis defined as
ANYANY sex actsex act
with a student!with a student!

12. Sexual Abuse of Students
=REVOCATION

13. A boundary violation
involving sexual
contact is more of a
process than a single
event.

14. • ““trolltroll” for children with a weak” for children with a weak
sense of boundaries, targetingsense of boundaries, targeting
them for abuse,them for abuse,
Mary Jo McGrath
• ““groomgroom” their victims with” their victims with
gifts and attention, andgifts and attention, and
• ““lulllull” them into complacency,” them into complacency,
escalating the level of physicalescalating the level of physical
intimacy over time.intimacy over time.
Habitual Sex OffenderHabitual Sex Offender
ProcessProcess

15. Sexual Misconduct is not
determined by the
perpetrator’s intent, but how
it is perceived by the person
receiving the attention.
Mary Jo McGrath

16. Young people instinctivelyYoung people instinctively
recognize these boundaryrecognize these boundary
violations and often nicknameviolations and often nickname
the employee engaged in suchthe employee engaged in such
violations a “violations a “ pervertpervert,” based,” based
on their perceived sense ofon their perceived sense of
inappropriateness.inappropriateness.
Mary Jo McGrath

17.  insists on touching, hugging,insists on touching, hugging,
kissing, wrestling or holding akissing, wrestling or holding a
child even if the child resists,child even if the child resists,
Physical MisconductPhysical Misconduct
IndicatorsIndicators
 seeks uninterrupted time aloneseeks uninterrupted time alone
with a child,with a child,
 takes children on overnighttakes children on overnight
outings alone,outings alone,

18.  spends more time with children than withspends more time with children than with
people his/her own age,people his/her own age,
 often volunteers for extra duties involvingoften volunteers for extra duties involving
activities with children,activities with children,
 offers to babysit children free ofoffers to babysit children free of
charge, andcharge, and
 is too permissive with children and allowsis too permissive with children and allows
misbehavior.misbehavior.
PhysicalPhysical MisconductMisconduct
IndicatorsIndicators

19. Three Forms of EducatorThree Forms of Educator
Sexual HarassmentSexual Harassment
 Physical:Physical: fondling, touching or sexualfondling, touching or sexual
abuseabuse
 VerbalVerbal:: commenting on a student'scommenting on a student's
body parts or making sexually explicitbody parts or making sexually explicit
jokesjokes

20.  talks repeatedly about the sexual activitiestalks repeatedly about the sexual activities
of students,of students,
 talks with children about sexual fantasies,talks with children about sexual fantasies,
 tells stories and jokes of a sexual nature,tells stories and jokes of a sexual nature,
Verbal Misconduct IndicatorsVerbal Misconduct Indicators
 talks about a child’s developing body,talks about a child’s developing body,
sexuality, dating habits,sexuality, dating habits, etc.etc.,,

21.  tells children they are his/hertells children they are his/her
“special” friends, and“special” friends, and encouragesencourages
them to keep secrets,them to keep secrets,
 calls children sexual names suchcalls children sexual names such
as “stud” or “whore,”as “stud” or “whore,”
 talks with children about theirtalks with children about their
personal relationships, datingpersonal relationships, dating
history, or sexual preferences.history, or sexual preferences.
Verbal Misconduct IndicatorsVerbal Misconduct Indicators

22.  often walks in on children in the bathroom,often walks in on children in the bathroom,
 provides pornography to students,provides pornography to students,
 gives sexual drawings to students.gives sexual drawings to students.
 exposes students to sexual pictures,exposes students to sexual pictures,
 looks at child pornography, andlooks at child pornography, and
Visual Misconduct IndicatorsVisual Misconduct Indicators

23. Walton County Public Schools
Student Reporting
of Acts of Sexual
Abuse or Sexual
Misconduct

24. Reporting Educator Sexual
Misconduct
Any student (or parent or friend of a
student) who has been the victim of
an act of sexual abuse or sexual
misconduct by a teacher,
administrator or other school
system employee is urged to make
an oral report of the act to any
teacher, counselor or administrator
at his/her school.

25. Reporting Educator Sexual Misconduct
Any school principal or principal’s designee
receiving a report of sexual abuse as defined in
O.C.G.A. 19-7-5 shall make an oral report
immediately, but in no case later than 24 hours
from the time there is reasonable cause to
believe a child has been abused. The report
should be made by telephone and followed by a
written report in writing, if requested, to a child
welfare agency providing protective services, as
designated by the Department of Human
Resources, or, in the absence of such agency,
to an appropriate police authority or district
attorney.

26. Reporting Educator Sexual Misconduct
Reports of acts of sexual misconduct
against a student that do not rise to the
legal definition of sexual abuse shall be
investigated immediately by school or
system personnel. If the investigation
provides a reasonable cause to believe
that the report of sexual misconduct is
valid, the school principal or principal’s
designee shall make an immediate
written report to the Superintendent and
the Ethics Division of the Professional
Standards Commission.

27. Student Method of Reporting
 Our students are encouraged to
report all forms of harassment to
their Principal, Counselor, or Teacher
that they trust.
 Respect that trust and follow up with
your Administrator on all reports of
harassment and abuse.

28. Reporting Educator Sexual Misconduct
Any educator receiving a report of sexual
abuse or sexual misconduct of a student
by a teacher, administrator or other
employee shall make an oral report of the
incident immediately by telephone or
otherwise to the school principal or
principal’s designee, and shall submit a
written report of the incident to the
principal or principal’s designee within 24
hours.

29. Avoiding Allegations
of Sexual
Misconduct

30. Be Friendly Not a Friend
Conversations with students
should be warm, caring and
provide support for their learning
and growth.
Relationships should be
centered on school events and
activities.

31. Choose Appropriate Settings for
Meeting with Students
 Schedule student meetings
at regular times and when
other staff members are
present.
 Hold meetings with
individual students in rooms
with a door open or with an
unobstructed window view.

32. Choose Appropriate Settings for
Meeting with Students
 Do not make a habit of
meeting students outside of
school for a meal, soft drink,
or a cup of coffee.
 Do not remain in a classroom
with a student outside of the
regular school day without
informing the principal.

33. Choose Appropriate Settings for
Meeting with Students
 Do not transport students
in your own vehicle.
 Do not entertain students in
your home.

34.  Never use slang or vulgarNever use slang or vulgar
language with studentslanguage with students
Communicating with StudentsCommunicating with Students
 Don’t gossip about otherDon’t gossip about other
students or staffstudents or staff
You are the role model!

35.  Do Not give students a home orDo Not give students a home or
cell phone number or a personalcell phone number or a personal
e-mail address withoute-mail address without
administrative approvaladministrative approval
Electronic CommunicationsElectronic Communications
 Never give a studentNever give a student
a cell phone!!!!a cell phone!!!!

36. You are a private citizen, but youYou are a private citizen, but you
also are an educator! also are an educator!
Electronic CommunicationsElectronic Communications
Your out-of-school conduct can affect your jobYour out-of-school conduct can affect your job
security. What you post on a blog, onsecurity. What you post on a blog, on
MySpaceMySpace, or on, or on FacebookFacebook can be accessed bycan be accessed by
students. students. If you wouldn't want it on theIf you wouldn't want it on the
front page of the local newspaper, don'tfront page of the local newspaper, don't
post it on the web!post it on the web!

37. Present a Professional Image
Educators set an
example and create
expectations with their
choice of clothing and
accessories.

38. Dress Professionally
Clothing and grooming should
reflect the professional status of
the educator and should never be
provocative or distraction to
students.

39. Protect your
Certificate and the
Integrity of Your
Profession!

40. Establish and control
the boundaries in your
professional
relationships.

41. We judge ourselves by our best
intentions and most noble acts,
but we’re judged by our
last worst act.

42. How will
You be
Judged?