JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Duval County School Board unanimously passed an updated ethics policy after battling several employee misconduct issues.
The ethics policy was last updated in February 2023, but since then, six teachers have been removed from classes at Douglas Anderson.
The most recent was announced last week when parents were notified about allegations that a teacher sent inappropriate messages to a student during the 2022-23 school year.
RELATED: Former Douglas Anderson principal, vice principal under internal investigation, DCPS confirms
There has been one criminal prosecution related to a teacher’s actions. Jeffrey Clayton admitted to physical contact with students and other charges.
Three Douglas Anderson students also reached a $1.45 million settlement with the district over complaints of teacher misconduct.
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School board members were looking to strengthen the district’s ethics policy to ensure student safety and the accountability of employees.
Some of the changes to the policy include addressing delays and clarifying the process when an employee is accused of misconduct or a crime — even if it happens outside of school.
The superintendent would also be required to be notified within 24 hours of an incident and will then notify the school board.
The new policy would mandate reporting and removal requirements for employees accused of certain misconduct affecting the health, safety and welfare of students.
The last item was a sticking point with parents, who were upset that students were being moved out of classrooms instead of teachers during investigations.
Board Chair Darryl Willie said most teachers are doing the right thing and won’t ever need to interact with the policy.
These changes also come as the school district launched its “Know the Line” campaign, which helps parents and students understand when a boundary is being crossed between a teacher and student and ways to report the incident.
DCPS Superintendent Christopher Bernier addressed professional ethics in his report at the meeting, thanking staff and leaders for helping to educate everyone about the campaign.
“We’ve done an amazing amount of lift to ensure that our community, our staff, our students, and our parents know the line and know what professional behavior is and what professional behavior is not. Based on the amount of employees placed on temporary duty elsewhere, I do believe it’s working. While those numbers may be high, I do believe it’s a result of this community, fellow professionals, parents, students knowing what the line is and when an individual crosses it (and) making that report,” Bernier said.
Read the nearly six-page ethics policy below: