1. Walton County Public Schools
Identifying and Reporting
Educator Sexual Misconduct
2012-2013
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 Educator
Sexual Misconduct
Physical: fondling, touching or sexual
abuse
Verbal: commenting on a student's body
parts or making sexually explicit jokes
Visual: showing sexually explicit
photographs, or exposing one's genitals
10. Sexual Misconduct
“includes behavior by an
educator that is directed at
a student and intended to
sexually arouse or titillate
the educator or the child.”
Mary Jo McGrath
14. Habitual Sex Offender Process
• “troll” for children with a weak
sense of boundaries, targeting
them for abuse,
• “groom” their victims with
gifts and attention, and
• “lull” them into complacency,
escalating the level of physical
intimacy over time.
Mary Jo McGrath
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 instinctively
recognize these boundary
violations and often nickname
the employee engaged in such
violations a “pervert,” based on
their perceived sense of
inappropriateness.
Mary Jo McGrath
17. Three Forms of Educator
Sexual Harassment
Physical: fondling, touching or
sexual abuse
18. Physical Misconduct Indicators
insists on touching, hugging,
kissing, wrestling or holding a
child even if the child resists,
seeks uninterrupted time alone
with a child,
takes children on overnight
outings alone,
19. Physical Misconduct Indicators
spends more time with children
than with people his/her own age,
often volunteers for extra duties
involving activities with children,
offers to babysit children free
of charge, and
is too permissive with children
and allows misbehavior.
20. Three Forms of Educator
Sexual Harassment
Physical: fondling, touching or sexual
abuse
Verbal: commenting on a student's
body parts or making sexually explicit
jokes
21. Verbal Misconduct Indicators
talks with children about sexual
fantasies,
tells stories and jokes of a sexual
nature,
talks repeatedly about the sexual
activities of students,
talks about a child’s developing
body, sexuality, dating habits, etc.,
22. Verbal Misconduct Indicators
calls children sexual names such
as “stud” or “whore,”
tells children they are his/her
“special” friends, and encourages
them to keep secrets,
talks with children about their
personal relationships, dating
history, or sexual preferences.
23. Three Forms of Educator
Sexual Harassment
Physical: fondling, touching or sexual
abuse
Verbal: commenting on a student's body
parts or making sexually explicit jokes
Visual: showing sexually explicit
photographs, or exposing one's
genitals
24. Visual Misconduct Indicators
provides pornography to students,
exposes students to sexual pictures,
often walks in on children in the
bathroom,
looks at child pornography, and
gives sexual drawings to students.
25. Three Forms of Educator
Sexual Harassment
Physical: fondling, touching or sexual
abuse
Verbal: commenting on a student's body
parts or making sexually explicit jokes
Visual: showing sexually explicit
photographs, or exposing one's genitals
26. Walton County Public Schools
Student Reporting
of Acts of Sexual
Abuse or Sexual
Misconduct
27. 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.
28. 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.
29. 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.
30. 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.
31. 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.
33. 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.
34. 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.
35. Choose Appropriate Settings for
Meeting with Students
Do not remain in a classroom
with a student outside of the
regular school day without
informing the principal.
Do not make a habit of
meeting students outside of
school for a meal, soft drink,
or a cup of coffee.
36. Choose Appropriate Settings for
Meeting with Students
Do not transport students
in your own vehicle.
Do not entertain students in
your home.
37. Communicating with Students
Never use slang or vulgar
language with students
Don’t gossip about other
students or staff
You are the role model!
38. Electronic Communications
Do Not give students a home or
cell phone number or a personal e-
mail address without
administrative approval
Never give a student a
cell phone!!!!
39. Electronic Communications
You are a private citizen, but
you also are an educator!
Your out-of-school conduct can affect
your job security. What you post on a
blog, on MySpace, or on Facebook can be
accessed by students. If you wouldn't
want it on the front page of the local
newspaper, don't post it on the web!
40. Present a Professional Image
Educators set an
example and create
expectations with their
choice of clothing and
accessories.
41. Dress Professionally
Clothing and grooming should
reflect the professional status of
the educator and should never be
provocative or distraction to
students.