Our leadership team had a couple of training opportunities this summer. One dealt with legal issues including our charge to protect students and staff members. The trainer was a legal expert who represents victims where professional boundaries have been crossed resulting in some kind of physical, emotional, and/or psychological injury. She shared examples that invited reflection on our current practices. She also said that as a district, we were duty bound to have a professional boundaries policy to guide staff in maintaining appropriate interactions and relationships with students.
As reported in the Lovell Chronicle, some confusion might exist relating to this professional boundaries policy. It is not a ‘hugging policy.’ An elementary student will still be able to hug their teacher. Teachers will be able to reciprocate in an appropriate fashion. More importantly, direction is offered about not texting individual students, spending time alone with students in isolated settings, and appropriate ways to maintain relationships with students. The intent of the policy is to protect children and adults by clearly establishing appropriate boundaries for their interactions in every educational setting.