‘Know the Line:’ New Duval schools campaign teaches safe boundaries between staff, students

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A new lesson at Duval County Public Schools aims to help maintain safe boundaries between staff and students.

The campaign, called “Know the Line,” teaches families the same guidelines that have been part of employee training for years.

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“You cannot separate student safety from student success. This is why we launched ‘Know the Line,’” new DCPS Superintendent Dr. Christopher Bernier said in a campaign video posted online.

It’s a concern Bernier addressed the day he was sworn in back in July, the same day school board members were set to discuss more than $1 million in settlements on Douglas Anderson School of the Arts teacher misconduct claims.

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“The work that this district is now going to do around employee professional ethics is very valuable and the essential steps start tonight,” he said before the July school board meeting.

The campaign comes after Action News Jax reported last week on new personnel files that detailed dozens of teacher misconduct cases at Douglas Anderson. One teacher allegedly told a student she was his “baby girl” and to come see him in his classroom.

An email sent to families Monday laid out guidelines on communication, physical contact, and meetings between staff and students. “We encourage employees to plan ahead so they’re not alone with students,” the guidelines state.

RELATED: DCPS releases safety plan after issues with several teachers at arts school

It goes on to say, “There should be no interactions between students and employees via phone calls, text, or social media.” And “both employees and students are discouraged from any physical contact beyond a handshake, a high-five, or fist bump.”

“The employees need to behave in a professional manner. I will make it a primary focus to make sure they do. If they don’t, they’re dealt with appropriately and quickly,” Bernier said in July.

According to the campaign, violations of these standards can result in employee disciplinary action. Now the district is calling on families to help them by reporting cases of possible misconduct quickly so the district can step in.

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