Freeburg Community High School

Sexual Conduct Policy (Faith’s Law)

     Faith’s Law is named after prevention advocate and child sexual abuse survivor Faith Colson, who graduated from an Illinois high school in the early 2000s. Faith was sexually abused by a teacher at her high school. Years later, during the course of legal proceedings related to the abuse, Faith learned that several adults within her high school suspected that the teacher’s relationship with her was inappropriate but did not take appropriate action to report their concerns. As a result of her experiences, Faith pushed for change to state laws related to educator sexual misconduct in K-12 schools. 

Sexual Misconduct Defined: (Section 85.8 ( c ) of the School Code)

1.  Any act, including, but not limited to, any verbal, nonverbal, written, or electronic communication or physical activity, by an employee or agent of the school district, charter school or nonpublic school with direct contact with a student that is directed toward or with a student to establish a romantic or sexual relationship with the student. Such an act includes, but is not limited to, any of the following:

2. A sexual or romantic invitation.

3. Dating or soliciting a date. 

4. Engaging in sexualized or romantic dialog. 

5. Making sexually suggestive comments that are directed toward or with a student

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

7. A sexual, indecent, romantic, or erotic contact with a student.

 Expectations and Guidelines for Employee-Student Boundaries

• All District employees must maintain professional employee-student boundaries and relationships with students. This includes meeting expectations and following guidelines established by the District for employee-student boundaries. These expectations and guidelines apply to all professional, educational support, and contracted District employees. 

• Employees may have pre-existing relationships with families of students outside of school. These expectations and guidelines do not apply to employee-student relationships based in preexisting relationships, including nuclear or extended families. These expectations and guidelines are not intended to prohibit such interactions, provided that an awareness of employee-student boundaries is maintained at all times.

• While some employee-student boundaries are clear and easy to recognize, there are some unclear, gray areas that employees must plan for and respond to with sound judgment. This means recognizing the potential negative consequences for students and/or employees engaging in certain behaviors with students or allowing inappropriate conduct to continue. Employees may use time, place, and circumstances as a guiding principle.

Employee-Student Boundaries Categories

• Emotional Boundaries – both the employee’s own emotional state and self-regulation as well as students’ emotional states and developmental abilities to self-regulate.  

• Relationship/Power Boundaries – recognizing, as noted above, that the employee-student relationship is unequal and employees must safeguard against misusing positions of power.  

• Communication Boundaries – how and what employees communicate to students, including communication that is verbal, nonverbal, in person, or via electronic means.

• Physical Boundaries – physical contact between employees and students.

Expectations for employees and agents of the school district regarding how to maintain a professional relationship with students, including the expectations for staff-student boundaries; recognize the age and developmental level of the students served; establish guidelines for all of the following situations:

1. Transporting a student

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

3. Meeting with a student or contacting a student outside of the employee’s or agent’s professional role

4. Educators are Mandated Reporters

5. Employee training related to child abuse and educator ethics

TRANSPORTING A STUDENT

School Vehicles:

• District Employees should utilize school vehicles when transporting students

• Administrative and parent/guardian approval for transporting students is required

• School personnel transporting students should communicate travel information and attendance to the FCHS office, faculty, and staff

Use of Private Vehicles:

• Only with approval by the Administration

• Only with a signed permission slip from a parent or guardian

• In an emergency situation

School vehicles should be considered and utilized first in any transportation event. 

TAKING OR POSSESSING A PHOTO OR VIDEO OF A STUDENT

Taking and using photos/videos of students for educational purposes, with student and parent/guardian consent, while abiding by student records laws, policies, and procedures.

MEETING WITH A STUDENT OR CONTACTING A STUDENT OUTSIDE OF THE EMPLOYEE’S OR AGENT’S PROFESSIONAL ROLE

• Inviting students who need additional instructional support to your classroom for such additional support. 

• Conducting one-on-one student conference is an classroom with the door open

• Meeting with a student off campus with parent/guardian knowledge and/or permission, e.g., when providing prearranged tutoring or coaching services. 

• Limiting communication to what is necessary for educational and/or extracurricular activities.

• Using District-approved methods for communicating with students.

  • Google Classroom or the Remind App should be used for communication between students and district employees

 EDUCATORS ARE MANDATED REPORTERS

School personnel (including administrators and certified and noncertified school employees) are Mandated Reporters. Child abuse is the mistreatment of a child under the age of 18 by:

• A parent or their romantic partner.

• An immediate relative or someone living in their home.

• A caretaker such as a babysitter or daycare worker.

• Any person responsible for the child’s welfare, such as a health care provider, educator, coach or youth program volunteer.

The mistreatment can either result in injury or put the child at serious risk of injury. Child abuse can be physical (i.e. bruises or broken bones), sexual (i.e. fondling or incest) or mental (emotional injury or psychological illness).

Neglect is the failure of a parent or caretaker to meet “minimal parenting” standards for providing adequate supervision, food, clothing, medical care, shelter or other basic needs.

Completion of Illinois Department of Child & Family Services Acknowledgement of Mandated Reporter Status form upon employment.  

EMPLOYEE TRAINING RELATED TO CHILD ABUSE AND EDUCATOR ETHICS

• Yearly Training:

  • Understanding Domestic Violence

  • Effects of Domestic Violence on Children and Adolescents

  • Warning Signs of Domestic Violence in Children and Adolescents

  • Violence with Expectant/Parenting Youth

  • Teen Dating Violence

  • Child Abuse and Neglect -Indentification and Mandated Reporting

  • Signs of Sexual Abuse 

  • Signs of Emotional Maltreatment

  • “When Should I Call the Hotline” as a Mandated Reporter

• Yearly Review of Educator Code of Ethics

• Faith’s Law Training 

  • What is sexual misconduct?

  • Expectations for Professional Relationships with Students

• Title IX Training and Review

Updated: July 2023