Professional Boundaries
El Camino Real Charter High School (ECR) is committed to maintaining a safe, respectful, and professional learning environment for all students. This policy outlines the expectations for staff, faculty, volunteers, student teachers, and counseling interns regarding appropriate conduct and professional boundaries.
Corporal Punishment
ECR strictly prohibits the use of corporal punishment as a disciplinary measure. As stated in the policy, corporal punishment includes “the willful infliction of, or willfully causing the infliction of, physical pain on a student.”
However, the policy clarifies that reasonable and necessary force may be used to protect individuals or prevent property damage.
Acceptable and Unacceptable Behavior
This policy guides staff in maintaining high standards of professionalism and avoiding situations that could be misinterpreted or lead to boundary violations. As the policy states, staff should ask themselves: “Would I be engaged in this conduct if my family or colleagues were standing next to me?”
Trespassing professional boundaries is considered an abuse of power and a breach of public trust.
Duty to Report Suspected Misconduct
All staff must immediately report any reasonable suspicion that someone has crossed professional boundaries. As stated in the policy: “You must immediately report the matter to a school administrator.”
Reports will be handled as confidentially as possible. Staff must also report concerns about student behavior that may indicate risk of sexual abuse.
Examples of Specific Behaviors
Acknowledgement of Receipt
Staff members must sign the Professional Boundaries Policy Acknowledgement Form to confirm they have received, read, and understand the policy.