Standards of Ethical Conduct and Student Safety

At Educational Harbor Christian School, the safety, dignity, and well-being of every student are among our highest priorities. We are committed to maintaining a Christ-centered educational environment in which students are protected, respected, encouraged, and supported in their academic and personal growth.

Our employees, instructional personnel, educational support employees, administrators, and school officers are expected to demonstrate honesty, integrity, sound professional judgment, and appropriate Christian conduct in all interactions with students, families, colleagues, and the community.

Our Responsibilities to Students

School personnel are expected to:

• Make reasonable efforts to protect students from conditions harmful to their learning, mental health, physical health, safety, or welfare.

• Maintain appropriate professional boundaries with students.

• Treat students with dignity and avoid unnecessary embarrassment, humiliation, or disparagement.

• Respect students’ legal rights.

• Present academic subject matter honestly from a Christian perspective and without intentional distortion.

• Protect personally identifiable student information unless disclosure serves a legitimate professional purpose or is required or permitted by law.

• Never exploit a relationship with a student for personal gain or advantage.

• Never engage in, solicit, encourage, or conceal sexual, romantic, lewd, grooming, abusive, or otherwise inappropriate conduct involving a student.

• Make reasonable efforts to protect students from harassment and unlawful discrimination.

As a Christian school, Educational Harbor teaches and operates according to its sincerely held religious beliefs, Statement of Faith, mission, and educational philosophy. Our commitment to treating every person with dignity does not prevent the school from teaching or applying its faith-based beliefs and standards to the extent permitted by law.

 

Christian Character and Employment

Educational Harbor Christian School is a Christian religious educational institution. To the extent permitted by applicable law, the school may give employment preference to individuals who share and support its Christian faith.

Employees may be required to affirm, teach consistently with, and abide by the school’s Statement of Faith, Christian mission, and faith-based standards of conduct. This religious qualification does not permit harassment or unlawful discrimination on grounds not covered by an applicable religious-organization, religious-school, ministerial, or other lawful exception.

 

Employee Training

School personnel receive annual training regarding:

• Standards of ethical conduct

• Appropriate professional boundaries

• Recognizing and reporting suspected child abuse, abandonment, or neglect

• Reporting misconduct affecting the health, safety, or welfare of a student

• The school’s child-safety policies and procedures

Employees who have unsupervised direct contact with students are subject to the background screening and employment checks required by applicable Florida law.

 

Reporting Misconduct by School Personnel

All employees have a duty to promptly report suspected misconduct by instructional personnel, educational support employees, administrators, or school officers when the conduct may affect the health, safety, or welfare of a student.

Examples of reportable misconduct may include:

• Physical aggression or improper restraint

• Sexual innuendo, sexual misconduct, grooming, or boundary violations

• Obscene, threatening, or seriously inappropriate language

• Drug or alcohol impairment

• Disparaging, prejudicial, or abusive treatment of a student

• Cheating or testing violations

• Retaliation against a student or reporter

• Accepting, requesting, or offering improper favors

• Any other conduct that may endanger a student’s health, safety, or welfare

A person making a report is not responsible for proving that misconduct occurred. School personnel should report concerns promptly rather than conducting their own investigation.

 

Reports Concerning an Employee

Reports concerning a teacher, staff member, or other non-administrative employee should be made to:

Stacey Mayo, School Director
Email: stacey@educationalharbor.com
Telephone: 941-842-3427, option 2

 

Reports Concerning an Administrator

Reports concerning an administrator, including the School Director, should be made to:

Joe Henry, Designated Governing Authority Contact
Telephone: 941-812-3538

If a student is in immediate danger, call 911.

Suspected criminal conduct should also be reported to the appropriate law-enforcement agency. An internal report to the school does not replace a person’s legal duty to report suspected child abuse directly to the Florida Abuse Hotline.

Legally sufficient allegations involving Florida-certified educators will be reported to the Florida Department of Education’s Office of Professional Practices Services as required by law.

Educational Harbor prohibits retaliation against anyone who makes a good-faith report or participates in an investigation.

 

Reporting Child Abuse, Abandonment, Neglect, or Sexual Abuse

Florida law requires any person who knows or has reasonable cause to suspect that a child has experienced abuse, abandonment, neglect, sexual abuse, or juvenile sexual abuse to report the concern immediately to the Florida Abuse Hotline.

School teachers, officials, and personnel are professionally mandated reporters and must provide their names when making a report.

A report to a teacher, administrator, pastor, counselor, or other school representative does not replace the reporter’s individual legal duty to report directly to the Florida Abuse Hotline.

 

Florida Abuse Hotline — Available 24 Hours a Day

Telephone: 1-800-96-ABUSE or 1-800-962-2873
TTY: 711 or 1-800-955-8771
Online reporting for non-emergencies: https://reportabuse.myflfamilies.com/s/

If a child is in immediate danger, call 911 first and then call the Florida Abuse Hotline.

Employees should not attempt to investigate suspected abuse, confront an alleged perpetrator, ask leading questions, or promise a child that the information will remain secret.

 

Possible Indicators of Abuse or Neglect

Possible indicators of physical abuse may include unexplained bruises, welts, cuts, burns, broken bones, fear of going home, withdrawal, aggression, avoidance of physical contact, or clothing that appears intended to conceal injuries.

Possible indicators of sexual abuse may include difficulty walking or sitting, genital pain or itching, torn or bloody clothing, age-inappropriate sexual knowledge or behavior, sudden behavioral changes, fear of a particular person, withdrawal, depression, or running away.

Possible indicators of neglect may include unattended medical needs, inadequate supervision, poor hygiene, frequent fatigue or hunger, appearing underweight, stealing food, or appearing unusually needy for adult attention.

A single indicator does not necessarily prove abuse. However, a disclosure, a pattern of concerning signs, or any information creating reasonable cause for suspicion should be reported. A reporter does not need proof before contacting the Florida Abuse Hotline.

 

Failure to Report

Failure by an employee to comply with the school’s ethical-conduct or reporting requirements may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.

Under section 39.205, Florida Statutes, a person who knowingly and willfully fails to report known or suspected child abuse, abandonment, or neglect to the Florida Abuse Hotline—or who knowingly and willfully prevents another person from reporting—commits a third-degree felony.

Florida-certified educators who knowingly fail to make a legally required report may also face action against their educator certificates. School noncompliance may affect participation in Florida scholarship programs.

 

Additional Student-Safety Protections

Educational Harbor Christian School will not employ or contract with a person in a direct-student-contact position when that person is legally ineligible or disqualified from such employment.

The school will not enter into or enforce a confidentiality, resignation, or separation agreement intended to conceal misconduct affecting the health, safety, or welfare of a student. When disclosure to a prospective educational employer or government agency is required by law, the school will make that disclosure.

 

Liability Protections

Florida law provides immunity from civil or criminal liability for persons, officials, and institutions that participate in good faith in legally authorized child-protection actions or make good-faith reports of child abuse, abandonment, or neglect.

Florida law also provides certain liability protections to employers that disclose information about current or former employees to prospective employers, subject to the conditions and exceptions stated in section 768.095, Florida Statutes.

These standards and procedures are based upon applicable Florida requirements, including sections 39.201, 39.203, 39.205, 768.095, 1002.421, 1012.315, 1012.795, and 1012.796, Florida Statutes.