105 ILCS 5/10-23.13, Erin’s Law, requires this exhibit’s discussion. Use this exhibit to structure local conversations around what the District will include for its examples of expectations and guidelines about professional boundaries in employee-student relationships. Finalization of this exhibit requires a conversation among district administrators and employees to customize it based upon the ages, grade levels, and developmental levels of the students served, as well as local conditions. 

All District employees must maintain professional employee-student boundaries and relationships with students. This includes meeting expectations and following guidelines established by the District for employee-student boundaries. These expectations and guidelines apply to all professional, educational support, and contracted District employees. If they conflict with an applicable collective bargaining agreement, the provision is severable and the applicable bargaining agreement will control.

The District understands that employees may have pre-existing relationships with families of students outside of school. These expectations and guidelines do not apply to employee-student relationships based in pre-existing relationships, including nuclear or extended families. These expectations and guidelines are not intended to prohibit such interactions, provided that an awareness of employee-student boundaries is maintained at all times. This document is not exhaustive, and an employee may be disciplined for boundary violations that are not specifically listed.

Employee-Student Boundaries 

The relationship between students and school employees is an inherently unequal imbalance of power because school employees are in a unique position of trust, care, authority, and influence in relation to students. District employees breach employee-student boundaries when they misuse their position of power over a student in a way that compromises the student’s health, safety, or general welfare. Employee-student boundaries are categorized into four areas that are not mutually exclusive:

• Emotional Boundaries – both the employee’s own emotional state and self-regulation as well as students’ emotional states and developmental abilities to self-regulate. 

• Relationship/Power Boundaries – recognizing, as noted above, that the employee-student relationship is unequal and employees must safeguard against misusing positions of power.

• Communication Boundaries – how and what employees communicate to students, including communication that is verbal, nonverbal, in person, or via electronic means.

• Physical Boundaries – physical contact between employees and students.

While some employee-student boundaries are clear and easy to recognize, there are some unclear, grey areas that employees must plan for and respond to with sound judgment. This means recognizing the potential negative consequences for students and/or employees engaging in certain behaviors with students or allowing inappropriate conduct to continue. Employees may use time, place, and circumstances as a guiding principle by asking themselves:

• Is this the appropriate time for my planned action? 

• Have I chosen the appropriate place for the planned action? 

• Are these appropriate circumstances for me to take my planned action? 

To avoid behavior or conduct which may lead to a breach in employee-student boundaries, employees should also recognize their own unique vulnerabilities. Examples of vulnerabilities that employees may experience include, but are not limited to:

• Employees regarding students as peers

• Employees who too closely identify with students and their issues

• Employees experiencing adult relationship issues

• Immature employees, or employees with an under-developed moral compass

• Employees feeling a need for attention

• Employees who abuse alcohol or other substances

• Employees who lack personal crisis management skills

Employees experiencing difficulties in their personal lives may be particularly susceptible to engaging in at-risk behavior or conduct with students. Employees must be alert to such risks and ensure they maintain professional boundaries at all times. Markkula Center for Applied Ethics’ Framework for ethical decision-making may help employees evaluate and address conduct that concerns them. See scu.edu/ethics/ethics-resources/ethic...

Guidelines for Specific Boundary Areas

Customize based upon the ages, grade levels, and developmental levels of the students served.