Skip To Main Content

Search Panel

Schools Menu

5253 - Maintaining Professional Staff-Student Boundaries

This Regulation provides all staff, students, volunteers, and community members with information about protecting children from inappropriate conduct by adults. This Regulation applies to all district staff.

The Issaquah School District expects all District staff to maintain the highest professional standards when they interact with and around students.. Staff members are required to maintain an atmosphere conducive to learning, through consistently and fairly applied discipline and established and maintained professional boundaries. Further, the District expects all staff and agency personnel who work in the schools to set examples for students of appropriate conduct and behavior.

The interactions and relationships between staff members, agency personnel and students should be based upon mutual respect, trust, and commitment to the professional boundaries between District staff and students in and outside of the educational setting, and consistency with the educational mission of the District.

District staff members and agency personnel will not intrude on a student’s physical and emotional boundaries unless the intrusion is necessary to serve a demonstrated educational or physical, mental and/or emotional health purpose. An educational purpose is one that relates to the staff member or agency personnel’s duties in the district. Inappropriate boundary invasions can take various forms. Any type of sexual conduct with a student is an inappropriate boundary invasion.

Additionally, staff members and agency personnel are expected to be sensitive to the appearance of impropriety in their own conduct and the conduct of other staff when interacting with students. Staff members or agency personnel will discuss issues with the building administrator or supervisor whenever they suspect or are unsure whether their own conduct is inappropriate or constitutes a violation of this Regulation. 

The District recognizes that staff may have familial and pre-existing social relationships with parents or guardians and students. Staff members should use appropriate professional judgment when they have a dual relationship to students to avoid violating this Regulation, or the appearance of impropriety. Staff members shall pro-actively discuss these circumstances with their building administrator or supervisor.

The District supports the use of technology to communicate for educational purposes. However, when the communication is unrelated to the staff member’s duties or other legitimate school business District staff are prohibited from communicating with students by phone, e-mail, text, instant messenger, or other forms of electronic or written communication. District staff members are prohibited from engaging in any conduct on social networking websites that violates the law, District Regulations or procedures, or other generally recognized professional standards. This prohibition includes prohibiting staff from “friending” and/or “following” students on social media.

Staff whose conduct violates this Regulation may face discipline and/or termination consistent with the District’s Regulations and procedures, Responsible Use Guidelines, and collective bargaining agreements, as applicable.

The superintendent or designee will develop staff protocols for reporting and investigating allegations and develop procedures and training to accompany this Regulation.

Adopted:

11/5/2010

Last Revised:

9/1/2019

Related Procedures:

Legal References:

  • RCW 28A.400 Crimes against children
  • RCW 28A.405.470 Crimes against children - Mandatory termination of certificated employees - Appeal - Recovery of salary or compensation by district.
  • RCW 28A.405.475 Termination of certificated employee based on guilty plea or conviction of certain felonies - Notice to superintendent of public instruction - Record of notices.
  • RCW 28A.410.090 Revocation or suspension of certificate or permit to teach - Criminal basis - Complaints - Investigation - Process.
  • RCW 28A.410.095 Violation or noncompliance - Investigatory powers of superintendent of public instruction - Requirements for investigation of alleged sexual misconduct towards a child - Court orders - Contempt - Written findings required.
  • RCW 28A.410.100 Revocation of authority to teach - Hearings.
  • WAC 181-87 Professional Certification - Acts of Unprofessional Conduct
  • WAC 181-88 Sexual Misconduct, Verbal and Physical Abuse - Mandatory Disclosure - Prohibited Agreements