GBEB

NEPN/NSBA Code:  GBEBB

STAFF CONDUCT WITH STUDENTS

                   NEPN/NSBA Code:  GBEBB 

STAFF CONDUCT WITH STUDENTS 

The MSAD #60 Board expects all district employees and volunteers to maintain the highest professional, moral, and ethical standards in their conduct with students.

The purpose of this policy is to ensure that interactions and relationships between district employees and volunteers and students are based upon mutual respect and trust; an understanding of the appropriate boundaries between educators and their students in the educational setting; and consistent with the educational mission of the schools. 

The Board understands that district employees and volunteers may interact with and have friendships with families of students outside of school. This policy is not intended to prohibit such interactions, provided that professional boundaries are maintained in the educational setting. 

District employees and volunteers are expected to be sensitive to the appearance of impropriety in their conduct with students and are encouraged to discuss issues with the building principal or their supervisor whenever they are unsure whether particular conduct may constitute a violation of this policy. 

Unacceptable Conduct 

Examples of unacceptable conduct by district employees and volunteers that are expressly prohibited include but are not limited to the following: 

A. Any type of sexual or inappropriate physical contact with students or any other conduct that might be considered harassment under the Board’s policy on Harassment and Sexual Harassment of Students; 

B. Singling out a particular student or students for personal attention and friendship beyond the normal teacher-student relationship; 

C. For non-guidance/counseling staff, encouraging students to confide their personal or family problems and/or relationships. If a student initiates such discussions, staff members are expected to be supportive and to refer the student to appropriate guidance/counseling staff. In either case, staff involvement should be limited to a direct connection to the student’s school performance and well-being; 

  D. Engaging in sexual banter, allusions, jokes, or innuendos with students; E. Asking a student to keep a secret; 

F. Promoting personal beliefs as related to sexual, political, employment concerns, or religious views or other private matters to one or more students;

G. Consistently singling out individual students with inappropriate terms of endearment, pet names or otherwise in an overly familiar manner;                 

H. Permitting students to address you by an inappropriate nickname or otherwise in an overly familiar manner. 

 NEPN/NSBA Code: GBEBB

I. Communicating with students on non-school matters through phone calls, email, text messages, Messenger or any other digital methods, or by notes, letters or any other means (unless the student’s parent approves of the activity, e. g, in the context of employment or participation in community activities); 

Absent of parental acknowledgement and consent, staff should not engage in the following activities:

J. “Friending” students or engaging in any other interactions on social media or through digital applications (outside of any school-approved activity);

K. Being alone with individual students out of the view of others; 

L. Driving students home; 

M. Inviting or allowing students to visit the staff member’s home; 

N. Visiting a student’s home, unless on official school business;

O. Exchanging personal gifts (beyond the customary student-teacher gifts); and/or 

P. Socializing or spending time with students (including but not limited to activities such as going out for meals or movies, shopping, traveling, and recreational activities) outside of school-sponsored events except as participants in organized community activities. 

Q. Taking photographs and/or videos of students for personal purposes or any purpose other than capturing images of a school event for school publication purposes.

Reporting Violations 

Students and/or their parents/guardians are strongly encouraged to notify the Superintendent or building principal if they believe a teacher or other staff member may be engaging in conduct that violates this policy. 

District employees and volunteers must promptly notify the Superintendent or building principal if they become aware of a situation that may constitute a violation of this policy. 

Disciplinary Action          

District employee and volunteer violations of this policy may result in disciplinary action up to and including dismissal. 

Violations involving sexual or other abuse will also result in referral to the Department of Health and Human Services and/or law enforcement in accordance with the Board’s policy on Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect. 

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  NEPN/NSBA Code: GBEBB

School Unit Obligation to Report to Maine Department of Education (MDOE) 

Any district employees and volunteers holding a credential should be aware that violation of this policy may result in revocation or suspension of a certificate if it endangers the health, safety or welfare of a student. 

The Superintendent/designee will notify the MDOE immediately if a credential holder is disciplined, suspended or terminated as a result of a “covered investigation” (as defined in 20-A MRSA § 13025) in which the school unit determined that a student’s health, safety or welfare was endangered. 

As soon as practicable, the school unit will provide to the MDOE any final report produced in support of the school unit’s decision to discipline, suspend or terminate the credential holder. The credential holder may submit a written rebuttal to the report to the MDOE. 

The Superintendent/designee will notify the MDOE immediately if a credential holder who is the subject of a covered investigation leaves the school unit’s employment for any reason prior to the conclusion of the covered investigation. 

Dissemination of Policy 

This policy shall be included in all employee, student and volunteer handbooks. 

Cross Reference:     ACAA - Harassment and Sexual Harassment of Students

         GCSA - Staff Computer/Internet Use 

JLF - Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect 

 Adopted: April 10, 2008

 Revised: October 19, 2017

                December 5, 2025

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