The principal of every school should remind teachers and other staff members about protecting themselves from complaints, but even when safeguards are in place, accusations will occur, and principals may find themselves in the middle. Kansas State University professor of educational law Robert Shoop discussed the problems of false accusations aimed at teachers in an article on the National Association of Secondary School Principals' website. "Protecting students from abuse is a crucial part of any principal’s job," he acknowledges. "But false allegations can destroy a teacher’s career and life." Principals are left with the responsibility of protecting both students and teachers, and both will be investigated when complaints are made.
Teachers should evaluate complaints as they are received. When a parent comes forward with a concern, listen before responding. If the complaint is manageable, such as a request for an extended deadline or a plea for help with a social issue in the classroom, make an effort to be open-minded and try to diffuse any hostile feelings. Seek help from an administrator if the situation escalates or is serious in nature. Go to your union rep for guidance, or consult an attorney for advice. The best action is prevention, however. Be aware of actions that can lead to trouble.
North Carolina sixth-grade teacher Jeffrey Leardini was accused of improperly touching several students and forced to resign in 2006, according to a report by NBC News. Leardini was forced out of the teaching profession, and the school district agreed to pay him $680,000 in damages in 2012. According to the report by Kari Huus, Leardini "said he had been coerced into resigning -- despite an excellent eight-year record as a teacher -- after several students came forward with complaints that he touched them in sexually suggestive ways." Criminal charges followed and were later dismissed. The teacher has been cleared of all charges, but he has left the profession and moved to another state. The school district was held accountable for failure to provide due process to its employee before taking dismissive actions, but the teacher suffered years of disgrace and professional turmoil.
Students have been harassing substitute teachers for decades, when most are in the schools to uphold the dignity of the classroom and keep the consistency of teaching for the students' benefit. Subs endure rudeness and failure to comply with instructions as well as fabulous experiences with cooperative students. An Ontario substitute teacher found herself out of work and financially ruined when a fifth-grade student complained about her lunchroom policies, according to Kathy Tomlinson for CBC News in British Columbia. Susan Dowell, the teacher, was eventually cleared of abuse allegations, and she expressed her frustrations with finding justice. "Something is terribly wrong here," Dowell said in Tomlinson's article. "Children who make false allegations -- parents who make false allegations -- what happens to them in the end?"
When asked why a minor incident would lead to a full-blown investigation, Choo-Hum of the York Regional School Board said in the CBC report, "If there is the slightest question [about a teacher] we err on the side of caution. It’s due diligence." Schools should compose written codes of conduct for teachers and staff members, and review the document every year to heighten teachers' awareness of this troubling issue. Teachers should make every effort to understand each student's needs and commit to providing a learning environment that provides stimulation and respect for all.