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Code of Conduct

(California law AB 500 requires the following information be posted on our website.)

MCDS believes that the interaction between MCDS employees and students is very important and we would like to make you aware of the school's policies regarding these issues which are listed below.

The School encourages close, warm relationships between students and School faculty and staff. At the same time, it is important that each employee’s conduct is at all times professional. Employees must maintain appropriate boundaries between themselves and students to ensure that they avoid even the perception of inappropriate conduct. Some activities may seem innocent from an employee’s perspective but can be perceived as flirtation or sexual insinuation from the perspective of a student or parent. The objective of this policy is not to restrain positive relationships between employees and students, but to prevent relationships that could lead to, or may be perceived as, sexual misconduct. Employees must ensure that they do not cross the boundaries of a professional relationship.

Unacceptable Behavior
Below is a list of examples of conduct that may involve inappropriate crossing of the boundaries of the professional relationship between employees and students. Contractors and volunteers are also required to respect similar boundaries, appropriate to their roles.

  • Employees must not have unnecessary physical contact with students in either a public or private situation.
    • In applying this standard, the School will consider the age and developmental stage of the student. For example, comforting a crying young child or assisting them may require some touching, whereas such touching would not be appropriate for an older child. 
    • Brief pats on the back, handshakes, high fives or side-hugs may be appropriate for occasional expressions of celebration or support, if the contact occurs in a public space and the employee first asks the student for permission. Such physical touch must be limited to safe-touch areas (i.e., shoulder, upper back, arm). Employees should remember the power dynamic between adults and students, as students may not feel comfortable declining even an occasional side hug.
  • Where physical touch is necessary for an employee to perform their job duties including emergency situations where the safety of a child is involved, the employee must adhere to the following: 
    • Employees should not be alone with a student or in a space that cannot be observed by other adults.
    • Employees should always ask permission before touching any student. 
  • Employees must comply with the policy on School's “Policy Against Harassment and Discrimination Involving Students” in the School’s Family Handbook. Among other things, the policy prohibits:
    • Making, or participating in, sexually inappropriate comments; sexual jokes, stories, or jokes/comments with sexual innuendo with or in the presence of students; or
    • Displaying sexually-oriented materials in the presence of students, except where part of approved curriculum.
  • Employees should not intentionally be alone with a student (1) in a vehicle (except in an emergency situation), (2) in a space that cannot be observed by others, or (3) away from campus,  without parent and supervisor permission; if an employee must be alone with a student to perform their job duties, the employee should:
    • Inform a supervisor that they will be or have been alone with a student;
    • Meet in a public place or a place that is readily observable. If meeting in a classroom or office, the employee should have the blinds up or door open;
    • Avoid physical contact of any sort with the student;
    • Document in writing and submit to the Head of School any unusual incident, including but not limited to the disclosures by the student of abuse or maltreatment, behavior problems and how they are handled, injuries, or any interactions with the student that are significant or unusual.
  • Employees may not have contact with a student or group of students off campus or outside of school-sponsored activities, unless part of an employee’s regular job duties.
  • Employees may not use or be under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs in the presence of students or encourage them to use alcohol or illegal drugs. 
    • Employees may drink a reasonable amount of alcohol at school-sanctioned events where students are not present.
  • Employees may not engage in preferential treatment or excessive personal attention toward a particular student (or group of students) including:
    • Giving gifts to an individual student that are of a personal or intimate nature; 
    • Seeking emotional involvement with a student for the employee’s benefit;
    • Becoming involved with a student so that a reasonable person may suspect inappropriate behavior.
  • Employees must keep communications with students professional and, when communicating with students, may not:
    • Use pet names or terms of endearment for students;
    • Swear or use inappropriate language in the presence of students;
    • Gossip about, disparage, or share private information of other students or adult members of the school community;
    • Ask students personal or intimate questions unless this is part of an employee’s job duties (e.g., the School counselor);
    • Share the employee’s personal or intimate information with a student or discuss the employee’s personal problems with a student;
    • Discuss drug or alcohol use (except when necessary to the purpose of the employee’s professional duties);
    • Keep a student’s secrets or ask a student to keep secrets from other employees or their parents or guardians.
  • Employees must limit electronic communications with students as follows:
    • Employees may not communicate with a current student or former student under age 18 on any social media platform (e.g., following a student on X, letting a student follow the employee on Instagram) (See Social Media Policy);
    • Employees should only use the School's email system for electronic communications with students, and they should normally only send emails to students during the School’s normal business hours.  If sending an email outside of business hours is necessary for urgent matters, an employee should copy a parent/guardian or supervisor on the email.
  • Texting with students is permitted only for urgent communications, such as changes in schedules or locations for sports practices, or where the employee is supervising students away from school as part of their job duties.  
    • When texting a student in such situations, employees should send group texts or include another employee on the texts.  
  • Employees must not fail to keep parents and supervisors informed when a significant issue develops about a student.

Duty to Report
If an employee finds him or herself in a difficult situation related to boundaries, the employee should ask for advice from a supervisor or a School Administrator. 

When any employee becomes aware of another employee or a contractor or volunteer crossing appropriate boundaries with a student, the employee must report the matter to the Head of School ora Division Head. If an employee is uncomfortable reporting to either of these administrators, they may contact the Chair of the Board of Trustees. In some circumstances, employees will also have the duty to report such conduct in accordance with mandated reporter requirements.

Retaliation
The School will not retaliate against anyone who reports conduct that may violate the Code of Conduct. An employee who retaliates against an individual who makes a report under this policy will be subject to discipline up to and including termination.