FILE: GAMC
INVESTIGATIONS
GENERAL INVESTIGATIONS
Concerns about serious situations or conditions within the school system should be reported to the Superintendent or his/her designee. Should the Superintendent determine that the situation/condition warrants investigation, he/she shall have the matter investigated by appointing appropriate staff personnel (one or more persons) to make the necessary inquiries. At the conclusion of their investigation, a report shall be prepared for submission to the Superintendent.
Any investigation undertaken in the school system shall be conducted in accordance with the following stipulations:
No Board member shall participate in any manner in an investigation.
The Superintendent shall use every means possible to protect School Board personnel from unwarranted personal criticism.
In any investigation into incidents involving accidents or injuries to students or employees, or involving student misconduct, or the competence, honesty or performance of duties of employees, all employees of the St. John the Baptist Parish School Board shall, upon reasonable request by the Superintendent or his/her designee, give a statement of the facts and circumstances within the employee's knowledge, or an accounting of the employee's conduct concerning the circumstances which are the subject of the investigation or are related to the matter being investigated.
If deemed appropriate by the Superintendent or his/her designee in the conduct of such investigation, employees shall, upon reasonable notification, appear at the offices of the Superintendent or at such other suitable location within the parish as might be appropriate and convenient in the investigation.
During any such employee interview, the employee may have legal representation if desired by the employee, but said representation shall be at no cost to the St. John the Baptist Parish School Board.
PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT OF EMPLOYEE DISCIPLINE
The St. John the Baptist Parish School Board, in accordance with state law, shall provide for an investigation of an employee, in cases where the Board has made a public announcement that an employee may be disciplined, whether or not there is an accompanying reduction in pay. The investigation shall proceed as outlined below under Reporting Procedures. Not later than thirty (30) days after the conclusion of the investigation and prior to any disciplinary action, the employee may appear, if he/she so determines, before the School Board in open session and be given a reasonable time, as determined by the Board, to comment on the investigation and any actions taken or proposed to be taken involving the employee.
These provisions shall not be applicable to any reduction of personnel initiated by the Superintendent.
IMPERMISSIBLE CORPORAL PUNISHMENT OR MORAL OFFENSES
If an employee is accused of impermissible corporal punishment, or of a moral offense involving a student, a prompt, thorough investigation shall be conducted by the Superintendent or designee. The investigation shall proceed as outlined below under Reporting Procedures. A written report of the results of the investigation shall be prepared, and the employee shall be provided with a copy of such report. The Superintendent may promulgate such administrative regulations as he/she deems necessary to implement this policy. Any employee found to have violated the provisions of Board policy shall be disciplined by such means as appropriate to the incident, including reprimand, suspension, termination, and/or referral to the local child protection agency/law enforcement.
If the allegation falls within the definition of abuse as defined in Board policy JGCE, Child Abuse, then all school employees with knowledge of such incidents become mandatory reporters and the allegations must be reported to child protection or law enforcement as provided by state law and Board policy. Such reporting shall be made and applied in conjunction with the procedures outlined in this policy.
REPORTING PROCEDURES
In instances where allegations of abuse of a student are reported against an employee, through the administering of impermissible corporal punishment, or any other offense, the Board shall promptly investigate the action. Such investigation shall proceed in accordance with the following:
A complaint against an employee alleging that the staff member has committed an act of child abuse, including moral offenses, the administering of impermissible corporal punishment or any other offense, shall be submitted in writing to the Superintendent.
Once the complaint has been submitted to the Superintendent, the Superintendent shall appoint an investigating team to examine the allegations. The investigating team shall consist of at least two (2) employees, none of which shall work in the same school or department as the person accused of the offense, with at least one (1) member being from the central office, who shall lead the investigation.
The leader of the investigation team shall immediately schedule a conference with the employee under investigation to assess the validity of the report. Other staff members or students may be interviewed if it is deemed essential to the investigation.
At the conclusion of the investigation, the investigation team shall file a written report of the findings with the Superintendent. The report may include disciplinary action to be considered against the employee if the allegations can be substantiated.
Once the Superintendent receives the investigation team's report, he/she shall review the findings in the report and determine if further action is necessary. If he/she determines that further action is indeed necessary, disciplinary action may be taken in accordance with Board policy, which may include termination of employment. Record of any disciplinary action taken shall be placed in the employee’s personnel file.
Revised: October 15, 2009
Revised: October 18, 2012
Ref: La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§14:403, 17:81, 17:81.6, 17:81.8
Board minutes, 10-15-09, 10-18-12
St. John the Baptist Parish School Board