School Ethics Policy

Ethical Principles for Christian Educators

1. The following disciplinary rule shall constitute the Principles of Professional Conduct.
2. Violation of any of these principles shall subject the individual to potential consequences up to and including termination and revocation of any professional standing.
3. Obligation to the student requires that the individual:
   1. Shall make reasonable effort to protect the student from conditions harmful to learning and/or to the student’s mental and/or physical health and/or safety.
   2. Shall not intentionally violate or deny a student’s legal rights.
   3. Shall not exploit a relationship with a student for personal gain or advantage.
   4. Shall not intentionally distort or misrepresent facts concerning an educational matter in direct or indirect public expression.
   5. Shall not use institutional privileges for personal gain or advantage.
   6. Shall accept no gratuity, gift, or favor that might influence professional judgment.
   7. Shall offer no gratuity, gift, or favor to obtain special advantages.
   8. Shall maintain honesty in all professional dealings.
   9. Shall not make malicious or intentionally false statements about a colleague.
   10. Shall not engage in harassment or discriminatory conduct which unreasonably interferes with an individual’s performance of professional or work responsibilities or with the orderly processes of education or which creates a hostile, intimidating, abusive, offensive, or oppressive environment; and, further, shall make reasonable effort to assure that each individual is protected from such harassment or discrimination.
   11. Shall not use coercive means or promise special treatment to influence professional judgments of colleagues.
   12. Shall not misrepresent one’s own professional qualifications.
   13. Shall not submit fraudulent information on any document in connection with professional activities.
   14. Shall not make any fraudulent statement or fail to disclose a material fact in one’s own or another’s application for a professional position.
   15. Shall self-report within forty-eight (48) hours to appropriate authorities (as determined by Administration) any arrests/charges involving the abuse of a child or the sale and/or possession of a controlled substance. Such notice shall not be considered an admission of guilt nor shall such notice be admissible for any purpose in any proceeding, civil or criminal, administrative or judicial, investigatory or adjudicatory. In addition, shall self-report any conviction, finding of guilt, withholding of adjudication, commitment to a pretrial diversion program, or entering of a plea of guilty or Nolo Contendre for any criminal offense other than a minor traffic violation within forty-eight (48) hours after the final judgment. When handling sealed and expunged records disclosed under this rule, school districts shall comply with the confidentiality provisions of Sections 943.0585(4)(c) and 943.059(4)(c), Florida Statutes.
   16. For those with State Licensure, shall report to appropriate authorities any known allegation of a violation of the Florida School Code or State Board of Education Rules as defined in Section 1012.795(1), Florida Statutes.
   17. Shall seek no reprisal against any individual who has reported any allegation of a violation of the Florida School Code or State Board of Education Rules as defined in Section1012.795(1), Florida Statutes.