ETHIC CODE
The Code of Ethics and the Principles of Professional Conduct GK Academy expects all its staff members to follow rules of conduct that will protect the interests and safety of its students, employees, guests, and the school. GK Academy expects the highest standards of conduct from its faculty. The responsibilities of the faculty go beyond the “job description” to a style of professional life that exemplifies and follows the expectations of parents, students and colleagues for first-rate performance. All employees must comply with the standards of Ethical Conduct for Instructional Personal and Administrations defined by Sections 1002.01 (2) & (3). (See attached document Ethics in Education Act Senate Bill 1712 (Chapter Law 2008-108). All employees and agents of GK Academy have a duty to report any misconduct they observe or is brought to their attention. The following behaviors may be indicative of misconduct that should be reported:
1. Being alone with a student in dark or closed room or secluded area.
2. Behaving in an overly friendly or familiar way or failing to maintain an appropriate professional boundary with a student.
3. Using forceful or unnecessary physical contact with a student.
4. Administering discipline not compliant with the school policy.
5. Accepting or offering gifts in return for favors or privileges from students, parents or colleagues.
6. Badgering or habitually teasing a student.
7. Mocking or belittling a student.
8. Chronically embarrassing a student.
9. Displaying prejudice or bigotry against a student.
10. Theft of school, staff or other individuals’ property.
11. Falsification of the employee’s or another employee’s attendance records.
12. Making false claims of injury, violation of safety procedures and rules, violation of health rules or practices or refusal to use safety equipment.
13. Possession of firearms, explosives, knives, or any other weapons on school property, or in school vehicles.
14. Threatening, intimidating, harassing, attempting bodily harm, or engaging in physical confrontation with another employee, school representatives, visitors, parents, students, or other individuals while on school business, at school functions, or in connection with school employment.
15. See drug policy…
16. See sexual harassment policy…
17. Using profane, threatening or abusive language toward another employee, school representative, student, visitor or parent, etc.
18. Refusal or failure to obey the verbal or written instructions of a supervisor.
19. Unauthorized disclosure of confidential information.
20. Violation of safety or health rules; or any act that might endanger the safety or life of others.
21. Gambling of any kind.
22. Undermining the religious ideals of the school.
23. Negligent, abusive or inconsiderate treatment of a student.
24. Willful damage, abuse, destruction, negligence or improper conduct leading to damage of school-owned property or the property of others.
25. Violation of personnel policies, including GK Academy dress code.
26. Failure to observe working hours schedule, starting and ending times of work and break times.
27. Smoking on school premises.
28. Reckless driving on school premises and while on business functions.
29. Engaging in gossiping, backbiting or other forms of non-constructive criticism between employees or outside of school.
Resolution Procedures GK Academy will:
1. Conduct a thorough and prompt investigation with due concern for the dignity of those involved.
2. Document the activities or details of the events.
3. Secure evidence if possible by using the necessary forms.
4. Allow the accused to respond to specific allegations.
5. Not retaliate against any employee or student who reports harassment or cooperates in the investigation.
6. Meet with the complaining employee, parent, volunteer or student to discuss the results of the investigation and, where appropriate review the proposed action to be taken.
7. Take action in each situation to remedy proven harassment up to and including termination of the harasser, training, or counseling as deemed appropriate.
8. Dismiss anyone proven to have assaulted or threatened to assault another person.
9. Follow up to determine whether the problem has been resolved.
10. Keep the investigation and results as confidential as possible. GK Academy prohibits any kind of harassment of one employee by another employee, supervisor, student or a third party for any reason including, but not limited to: veteran status, race, color, religion, marital status, national origin, sex, physical or mental disability, age and/or any other protected class under federal, state or local statute. Harassment of third parties by our employees is also prohibited. This policy aims to ensure the safety and the nurturing of the learning environment at GK Academy. Harassment includes, but is not limited to: slurs, epithets, threats, derogatory comments, unwelcome jokes and teasing. This policy applies to all employees and non-employees who harass our employees or students (see GK Academy Harassment Policy in the faculty handbook, page # 10, 11). Protection from Liability (Sections 39.203 and 768.095. Florida Statutes) ************************************************************
• Any individual who reports in good faith any act of child abuse, neglect or abandonment to the Department of Children and Families or any law enforcement agency shall be immune from any civil or criminal liability that might result from such action.
• An employer who discloses information about a current or former employee to a prospective employer, at the employee’s or the prospective employer’s request, shall be immune from civil liability for such disclosure as provided by Florida Statutes.
• No employee of GK Academy may be subjected to reprisal or discharge because of his or her actions in reporting abuse, abandonment, or neglect pursuant to the requirements of this section.
• Any person making a report under this section shall have a civil cause of action for appropriate compensatory and punitive damages against any person who causes detrimental changes in the employment status of such reporting party by reason of his or her making such report. In accordance with Section 1002.421(4)(a), Florida Statutes, GK Academy disqualifies instructional personnel and school administrators from employment in any position that requires direct contact with students if the personnel or administrators are ineligible under section 1012.315, Florida Statutes. In accordance with Section 1002.421(4)(b), Florida Statutes, GK Academy prohibits confidentiality agreements regarding instructional personnel or school administrators who are terminated, dismissed, or resign based on misconduct. GK Academy also prohibits the provision of employment references without disclosing the misconduct. In accordance with Section 1002.421(2)(i), Florida Statutes, GK Academy denies employment to an employee or contracted personnel with direct student contact if he or she fails to meet the background screening standards under Section 435.04, Florida Statutes.
False or Incorrect Reports *************************** The principal, administrator or
board member shall not sign and /or transmit any report regarding employee misconduct to a
state official that he/she knows to be false or incorrect. An individual who knowingly makes
false or incorrect reports shall be subject to disciplinary action as prescribed by Florida Statute.
Section 1002.421, Florida Statutes, requires participating private schools to adopt policies that establish standards of ethical conduct for teachers and administrators and lays out several specific items that the policies must contain.