• Employee Code of Professional Conduct 

     

    All District employees are expected to maintain high standards in their job performance, demonstrate integrity and honesty, be considerate and cooperative, and maintain professional and appropriate relationships with students, parents/guardians, staff members, and others. In addition, the Code of Ethics for Illinois Educators, adopted by the Illinois State Board of Education, is incorporated into this Code of Professional Conduct. Any employee who sexually harasses a student, willfully or negligently fails to report an instance of suspected child abuse or neglect as required by the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act (325 ILCS 5/1 et seq.), engages in grooming as defined by 720 ILCS 5/11-25, engages in grooming behaviors, violates boundaries for appropriate school employee-student conduct, engages in sexual misconduct as defined in 105 ILCS 5/22-85.5, or otherwise violates an employee conduct standard will be subject to discipline up to and including dismissal.  

    Professional and appropriate employee conduct are important Board goals that impact the quality of a safe learning environment and the school community, increasing students’ ability to learn and the District’s ability to educate. To protect students from sexual misconduct by employees, and employees from the appearance of impropriety, State law also recognizes the importance for District employees to constantly maintain professional and appropriate relationships with students by following established expectations and guidelines for employee-student boundaries. Many breaches of employee-student boundaries do not rise to the level of criminal behavior but do pose a potential risk to student safety and impact the quality of a safe learning environment. Repeated violations of employee-student boundaries may indicate the grooming of a student for sexual abuse. As bystanders, employees may know of concerning behaviors that no one else is aware of, so their training on: (1) preventing, recognizing, reporting, and responding to child sexual abuse and grooming behavior; (2) this policy; and (3) federal and state reporting requirements is essential to maintaining the Board’s goal of professional and appropriate conduct.  

    The employee conduct standards will require that, at a minimum:  

    1. Employees who are governed by the Code of Ethics for Illinois Educators, adopted by the Ill. State Board of Education (ISBE), will comply with its incorporation by reference into this policy.  

    2. Employees are trained on educator ethics, child abuse, grooming behaviors, and employee-student boundary violations as required by law and policies 2:265, Title IX Sexual Harassment Grievance Procedure; 4:165, Awareness and Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse and Grooming Behaviors; 5:90, Abused and Neglected Child Reporting; and 5:100, Staff Development Program.   

    3. Employees maintain professional relationships with students, including maintaining employee-student boundaries based upon students’ ages, grade levels, and developmental levels and following District-established guidelines for specific situations, including but not limited to 

    a. Transporting a student  

    i. Employees are not permitted to transport students in their privately owned vehicles.  

    b. Taking or possessing a photo or video of a student  

    i. Employees are prohibited from taking or possessing photos of a student on their personal devices. Student pictures, assuming parents have not opted out of photos, for school-sponsored activities used in furtherance of the school’s educational mission are permitted. Employees should delete student photos from their personal device once photos have been posted and/or sent in furtherance of the school's educational mission.  

    c. Meeting with a student or contacting a student outside the employee’s professional role.  

    i. Employees are prohibited from meeting or contacting a student outside of their professional role. Some exceptions would be for situations where there is another established appropriate relationship (i.e. religious teacher, cub scout master, family relationship, etc.). Employees are expected to avoid situations which could result in an actual or perceived inappropriate relationship between the employee and the student.  

    4. Employees report prohibited behaviors and/or boundary violations pursuant to Board policies 2:260, Uniform Grievance Procedure; 2:265, Title IX Sexual Harassment Grievance Procedure; and 5:90, Abused and Neglected Child Reporting.  

    5. Discipline up to and including dismissal will occur for any employee who violates an employee 5:120 5:120 1 of 4 conduct standard or engages in any of the following:  

    a. Violates expectations and guidelines for employee-student boundaries.  

    b. Sexually harasses a student.  

    c. Willfully or negligently fails to follow reporting requirements of the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act (325 ILCS 5/), Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. §1681 et seq.), or the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (20 U.S.C. § 7926).  

    d. Engages in grooming as defined in 720 ILCS 5/11-25.  

    e. Engages in grooming behaviors. Prohibited grooming behaviors include, at a minimum, sexual misconduct. Sexual misconduct is any act, including but not limited to, any verbal, nonverbal, written, or electronic communication or physical activity, by an employee with direct contact with a student that is directed toward or with a student to establish a romantic or sexual relationship with the student. Examples include, but are not limited to:  

    i. A sexual or romantic invitation.  

    ii. Dating or soliciting a date.  

    iii. Engaging in sexualized or romantic dialog.  

    iv. Making sexually suggestive comments that are directed toward a student.  

    v. Self-disclosure or physical exposure of a sexual, romantic, or erotic nature.  

    vi. A sexual, indecent, romantic, or erotic contact with the student.