Castilleja Employee-Student Boundaries Policy 2026-27

Castilleja  takes the safety and comfort of its students very seriously. As part of this commitment, Castilleja sets expectations for employee interactions with students in its Employee-Student Boundaries Policy, a copy of which appears below. This policy is also included on the School’s website.

Castilleja encourages parents, students, alumnae, or other members of the School community to report concerns about any violations of the Employee-Student Boundaries Policy to a Division Head, the Associate Head of School for Finance and Operations, or the Head of School. Such reports will be kept as confidential as possible except as necessary for Castilleja to take appropriate action. Community members may elect to submit their reports to Castilleja anonymously, although this may impact our ability to follow up on a report. Information on anonymous reporting is available here. Castilleja prohibits retaliation against anyone who reports conduct that may violate the Employee-Student Boundaries Policy.

Employee-Student Boundaries Policy (from Castilleja Employee Handbook)

All adult members of the Castilleja School community who interact with students as part of their duties (including employees, volunteers, and contractors) are expected and required to maintain appropriate boundaries in their professional relationships with Castilleja students whether on campus or away from campus. Some activities may seem innocent from an adult’s perspective, but may be perceived as flirtatious, sexually suggestive, or otherwise inappropriate from a student’s or parent’s perspective. Because of the trusting nature of the student/educator relationship, these actions may interfere with an individual student’s progress at the School, or create an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment that is unacceptable. An appropriate educational environment must promote the psychological and emotional well-being of students, and employees, volunteers, and contractors must be diligent to avoid any conduct that is or could be perceived as being unprofessional, inappropriate, flirtatious, and/or sexually suggestive. This policy is not intended to restrict positive and supportive relationships between educators and students, which are appropriate in an educational environment.

Sexual or sexualized conduct between an adult and a student is absolutely prohibited. Sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, expression of sexual or “romantic” interest, or other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature between adult employees and students are strictly prohibited. This includes sexual behavior by an adult toward any student, even if she is 18 years of age or older. No sexual behavior, “invited” or otherwise, by any employee, volunteer, or contractor, toward any student, will be tolerated. Employees, volunteers, or contractors need to recognize that because of the differences in power and role between adults and students, any type of sexual behavior toward young people creates in them tremendous conflict, embarrassment, and often silence.

Guidelines for Employees

The below are guidelines that employees must follow. These guidelines do not provide an exhaustive list of prohibited employee conduct, but rather a general framework for describing inappropriate employee conduct that is prohibited.

Physical contact with students

• Employees must not have unnecessary physical contact with students.
   
  • 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;
     
  • 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.

Communications with Students

• Employees must keep communications with students professional.
   
  • When communicating with students, employees may not:
     
  • Use pet names or terms of endearment for students;
     
  • Use sexualized or suggestive language, make sexual comments, or use vulgar language;
     
  • 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 the employee’s drug or alcohol use or ask the student about their drug or alcohol use (except when necessary to the purpose of the employee’s professional duties).
     
• Employees must comply with the School’s Policy Against Harassment, Bullying, and Hazing in the School’s Student and Parent/Guardian Handbook which, among other things, 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.

Electronic Communications with Students

• Employees must use only their School email accounts when corresponding with students and parents and only engage in correspondence that is professional and related to the educational wellbeing of the student. Employees should only send emails to students during designated hours. In the Middle School, email hours are between 7:30am and 5:00pm. In the Upper School, email hours are between 7:30am and 8:00pm.
   
• If an employee receives a personal communication from a student and the communication is not appropriate, the employee should keep a copy of the communication and inform their Division Head.
   
• Employees should not use SMS, MMS, peer to peer (i.e., Messaging through iPhone), or any other texting, picture, or video communication with students except on School-issued devices with a record of the communication preserved unless prior authorization has been obtained from the Head of School to engage in such communication using personal devices. In the event that authorization is obtained to use personal devices, all such communications with students must also copy another School employee;
   
• Employees may not communicate with students through messages or programs such as Snapchat that disappear after receipt; and
   
• Employees may not initiate or accept social media “friend” requests (or otherwise establish an on-line relationship with them) on their personal social media accounts from current students (of any age) or former students under the age of 18. For more information on this policy, Employees should refer to the policy on Social Media Contacts with Students and Their Families in the Employee Handbook.

Appropriate Settings for Meetings with Students

• Employees may not be alone with a student in a space that cannot be observed by others or in a room alone with a student unless there is a window permitting others to view the room or the door is open; and
   
• Employees may not transport students in their own vehicle or be alone with a student in a car.

Contact Outside of School and School Activities

• 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 (except for employees who are also parents of School students who oversee contact between their children and other students);
   
• Employees may host end-of-year or other class parties for students with permission of supervisors and parents or guardians;
   
• Employees are prohibited from performing any outside services—whether paid or unpaid—for a family of any enrolled student, unless otherwise approved in advance and in writing by the Head of School. Outside services include but are not limited to tutoring, childcare, and individual lessons outside of School, such as music, art or language lessons;
   
• Employees may not visit students in their homes unless the students’ parents are present and have invited them, and Employees should not invite students to their home;
   
• Employees may not hire students to work in their home or at their personal events.

No Favoritism or Exceeding the Professional Educator Role

• Employees should not engage in personal relationships with parents of students that reflect or may be perceived to reflect personal interests or favoritism. Disclose any personal relationships with parents to the Head of School;
   
• Students should not become overly friendly or familiar with an employee, and students should not be permitted to call teachers by their first names or nicknames;
   
• Employees should not seek emotional involvement with a student for the employee’s own benefit, including by discussing their own personal troubles or intimate personal issues;
   
• Employees may not give gifts to an individual student that are of a personal nature;
   
• Employees may not loan money or give money to students;
   
• Employees may not take the role of a surrogate parent with a student and may not criticize a student’s parents to the student.

No Keeping Secrets or Asking Students to Do So

• Employees must act with transparency: any interaction with a student should be something an employee would feel comfortable saying or doing in front of that student’s parents and the employee’s supervisor;
   
• An employee should never ask a student to keep information secret and never instruct them not to report a concern;
   
• An employee should keep parents and supervisors informed when significant issues develop for the student;
   
• An employee should not promise students that they will keep information they share secret, as the employee may need to share the information with other employees or family members;
   
• If a student shares confidential information that could pose a threat to the student or others, the employee must notify their supervisor or a School counselor, and/or make a report of suspected child abuse or neglect in keeping with the School’s child abuse reporting policy and mandated reporting laws.

Employees must understand their own responsibility for ensuring they do not cross the boundaries established in this policy. Disagreeing with the wording or intent of the established protocols and requirements does not alleviate employees from strictly complying with this policy and will be considered irrelevant for disciplinary purposes. If an employee, volunteer, or contractor finds themselves in a difficult situation related to boundaries or has questions related to these protocols and requirements, the individual should consult the Head of School or their supervisor. 

Guidelines for Contractors and Volunteers

Below are examples of conduct that cross the boundaries of appropriate interactions with students and guidelines for maintaining boundaries. The examples below will not address every situation a contractor or volunteer may encounter, so contractors and volunteers who have questions about maintaining boundaries should confer with the school administrator overseeing their work.

• Contractors and volunteers may not have physical contact with a student except in emergency situations where physical contact is required to prevent physical harm to the student and no School employee is available to assist.
   
• Contractors and volunteers may not engage in conduct that would violate the Policy Against Harassment, Bullying, and Hazing in the School’s Student and Parent/Guardian Handbook, like:
   
  • 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.
     
• Contractors and volunteers may 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 permission of a School administrator and the student’s parent or guardian;
   
• Contractors and volunteers may not have contact with a student or group of students off campus outside of School-sponsored activities (except for volunteers who are also parents of School students who oversee contact between their children and other students);
   
• Contractors and volunteers may not be under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs in the presence of students or encourage them to use alcohol or illegal drugs;
   
• Contractors and volunteers may not engage in preferential treatment or excessive personal attention toward a particular student (or group of students) including:
   
  • Giving gifts to a student that are of a personal or intimate nature;
     
  • Seeking emotional involvement with a student for the adult’s benefit;
     
  • Becoming involved with a student so that a reasonable person may suspect inappropriate behavior.
     
• Contractors and volunteers must keep communications with students professional and, when communicating with students, may not:
   
  • Use pet names or terms of endearment for students;
     
  • Use sexualized or suggestive language;
     
  • Gossip about, disparage, or share private information of other students or adult members of the school community;
     
  • Ask students personal or intimate questions, share their own personal or intimate information, or discuss their personal problems;
     
  • Keep a student’s secrets or ask students to keep secrets from employees or the student’s parents or guardians;
     
  • Discuss the adult’s drug or alcohol use or ask the student about their drug or alcohol use (except when necessary to the purpose of the adult’s professional duties).
     
• Contractors and volunteers may not connect with students (other than their own children or family friends) on any social media platform.
   
• Contractors and volunteers may not have electronic communications (including email or texting) with students (other than their own children or family friends) except that volunteers and contractors supervising students away from school (e.g., on sports teams or field trips) are permitted to text or email with students for communications about logistics, such as changes in schedules or locations for sports practices. When texting or emailing a student, contractors and volunteers should send group texts and include a School employee or students’ parents on all communications.

Duty to Report

If an employee finds themselves in a difficult situation related to boundaries or has questions related to these protocols and requirements, the employee should consult the Head of School or their supervisor.  Employees have an obligation to report to the Head of School any behavior that seems inappropriate or in violation of this policy. In some circumstances, employees will also have the duty to report conduct that violates this policy in accordance with the mandated reporter requirements. The School will not retaliate against anyone who reports conduct that may violate this policy. An employee who retaliates against an individual who makes a report under this policy will be subject to discipline up to and including termination.