investigation, employees, upon reasonable notification, shall appear at the offices of the Superintendent or at such other suitable location within the parish as might be appropriate and convenient in the investigation.FILE: GAMC
INVESTIGATIONS
Concerns about serious situations or conditions within the Caddo Parish School System shall be reported to the Superintendent or his/her designee. Should the Superintendent or his/her designee determine that the situation warrants investigation, he/she shall have the matter investigated by appointing appropriate staff personnel (one or more persons) to make the necessary inquiries. At the conclusion of their investigation, a report shall be prepared for submission to the Superintendent or his/her designee. Employee discipline shall follow policy GBK, Employee Discipline.
No School Board member shall participate in any investigation undertaken in the school system.
In any investigation into incidents involving accidents or injuries to students or employees, or involving student misconduct, or the competence, honesty or performance of duties of employees, all employees of the Caddo Parish School Board shall, upon reasonable request by the Superintendent or his/her designee, give a statement of the facts and circumstances within the employee's knowledge, or an accounting of the employee's conduct concerning the circumstances which are the subject of the investigation or are related to the matter being investigated.
If deemed appropriate by the Superintendent or his/her designee in the conduct of such investigation, employees, upon reasonable notification, shall appear at the offices of the Superintendent or at such other suitable location within the parish as might be appropriate and convenient in the investigation.
During any such employee interview, the employee may have representation if desired by the employee, but said representation shall be at no cost to the School Board.
PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT OF EMPLOYEE DISCIPLINE
The Caddo Parish School Board, in accordance with state law, shall initiate an investigation of an employee, in cases where the School Board has made a public announcement that an employee may be disciplined, whether or not there is an accompanying reduction in pay. The investigation shall proceed as outlined above. Not later than thirty (30) days after the conclusion of the investigation and prior to any School Board action to implement such disciplinary action, the employee may appear, if he/she so determines, before the School Board in open session and be given a reasonable time, as determined by the School Board, to comment on the investigation and any actions taken or proposed to be taken involving the employee.
These provisions shall not be applicable to any reduction of personnel initiated by the Superintendent or to Impermissible Corporal Punishment or Moral Offenses involving Students.
IMPERMISSIBLE CORPORAL PUNISHMENT OR MORAL OFFENSES INVOLVING STUDENTS
If a student, parent or other person files a complaint in writing with the Caddo Parish School Board accusing a school employee of impermissible corporal punishment or moral offenses involving students, the complaint will be investigated as follows:
Once the complaint is submitted in writing, the site-based administrator or designee shall:
Provide employee with a copy of written complaint and request a written response within 24 hours or on following school day. Employee may request an additional 24 hours or school day to provide written statement if circumstances warrant.
Initiate investigation.
Notify appropriate school director and the Department of Risk Management.
Meet with the employee within initial 24-hour investigative period to review allegations as contained in the written complaint. The employee may have representation at the meeting.
Submit written findings of the investigation to the school director.
The school director shall:
Contact the appropriate personnel director and advise of the complaint. The personnel director may place the employee on paid administrative leave pending results of the initial investigation if he/she feels it is in the best interest of the employee and/or the Caddo Parish school system.
Confer with the appropriate personnel director to review the findings of the investigation and determine if the security department should continue the investigation and/or whether the employee shall be placed on appropriate administrative leave. If the security department is assigned the investigation. it shall present a status report within ten (10) school days. A reasonable attempt shall be made by security to complete the investigation within thirty (30) school days. Written findings of the security investigation shall be presented to the appropriate personnel director.
Security investigation report will be sent to the Department of Risk Management.
Upon completion of the investigation, the appropriate personnel director shall:
Meet with the employee to review findings of the investigation. The employee may have representation present at the meeting.
Provide employee copies of investigative materials that may be used to initiate adverse personnel action against the employee.
Acquire proper parental consent prior to release of written statement taken from students.
Advise the employee of any recommendations that will be made to the Superintendent regarding any personnel action.
Submit written recommendation to the Superintendent regarding any recommended personnel action.
The Superintendent or his designee will notify the employee within forty-eight (48) hours or two (2) school days of the appropriate personnel action to be taken.
Documentation shall be maintained in accordance with the Louisiana School Employee Personnel Files Act.
If the allegation falls within the definition of abuse as defined in state law, then all school employees with knowledge of such incidents become mandatory reporters and the allegations must be reported to child protection or law enforcement as provided by state law and School Board policy (see policy JGCE, Child Abuse). Such reporting shall be made and applied in conjunction with the procedures outlined in this policy.
TITLE IX SEXUAL HARASSMENT INVESTIGATIONS
Any investigation of sexual harassment under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title and Part 106 of Title 34 of the United States Code of Federal Regulations shall be conducted in accordance with the procedures developed and maintained by the Superintendent or his/her designee under the provisions of policy JAAA, Title IX Sexual Harassment.
CONFIDENTIALITY
The School Board shall attempt to protect the privacy of the complainant and the respondent, but confidentiality is not guaranteed. Information regarding the complaint and identities of complainants, respondents, and witnesses may be revealed as permitted or required by law, and as is necessary to conduct the investigation and enforce the consequences of the investigation.
Adopted: February 21, 2017
Revised: December 19, 2023
Ref: La. Rev. Stat. Ann. ยงยง14:403, 17:81, 17:81.6, 17:81.8
Board minutes, 2-21-17, 12-19-23
Caddo Parish School Board