Less than three weeks after the arrest of a Hahnville High School teacher for sexual battery, a St. Charles Parish School Board Committee has proposed revisions to personnel policies dealing with sexual harassment of students, child abuse and neglect, electronic communication between employees and students and bullying and harassment. The committee, which met on Monday, agreed the goal was to ensure the school system’s policy made clear reference to reporting requirements, as well as the revisions clearly, consistently and explicitly define reporting of violations as mandatory.
“The obligation of (school system employees) as mandatory reporters, that was throughout the policy in the past,” Superintendent Felecia Gomez-Walker said to the board members. “We wanted to really highlight it and make it a very predominant part of the policy. I don’t want you to think that this is new. It’s just in a place that will get everyone’s attention.”
The key element of the proposed revisions is a clearly defined statement that reads, “Attention: If you are employed by the St. Charles Parish School Board, whether directly or indirectly, you are a Mandatory Reporter. You are required to report any reasonably suspected or actual violation(s) of this policy or procedure.” That statement is now included in each of the four noted sections dealt with at Monday’s meeting.
The policies were brought for review less than three weeks after Hahnville High School teacher Jeremy Eusea was arrested twice and charged with inappropriate conduct with 17-year-old student, as well as “sexting” a 16-year-old female student. That case allegedly involved the discovery of inappropriate conversations between Eusea and the student via text messaging.
St. Charles Parish Public Schools have seen four teachers arrested for misconduct with students within the past two years.
Other key revisions include:
*Any communication sent by a student to an employee that may be construed as inappropriate shall be reported immediately to administration by the employee. Inappropriate student-initiated communication shall result in consequences to the student. That was added to a section covering inappropriate communications made by employees to enrolled students.
*A provision that individuals that report such incidents are protected regardless of whether the investigation results in a legitimate violation of policies, procedures or laws.
*An inclusion of “other current or future social network” sites available on the internet that could be created in addition to examples already given of Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Snapchat and Instagram as potential outlets for inappropriate contact.
The School Board will vote to accept the first reading Wednesday night. The final vote to adopt the revised policy will take place in conjunction with the second reading, which is scheduled at May’s board meeting.
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