AJNLA Ethics in Education Act
Child Abuse Reporting Procedures
Child Abuse Reporting Obligations: As educational professionals, we are responsible
for providing the children we teach with the opportunity to obtain the best education
possible. However, our responsibility does not end there. We also have a legal
responsibility to protect the children we educate from child abuse, neglect, and
abandonment and to report any information that we receive that leads us to suspect that
a child has been abused, neglected, or abandoned.
Unfortunately, child abuse, neglect, and abandonment are all too frequent occurrences
in today’s society. In our capacities as educators or employees at an educational
institution, we are likely to come into contact with child abuse, neglect, or abandonment
at some point in our careers. This prompts the question, “How do I recognize and
neglect, and deal with a situation when it occurs?” This policy provides guidelines for
reporting suspected child abuse, neglect, and abandonment.
Florida statute contains these definitions:
Abuse: any willful act or threatened act that results in any physical, mental, sexual
injury or harm that causes or is likely to cause the child’s physical, mental or emotional
health to be significantly impaired.
Neglect: when a child is deprived of or is allowed to be deprived of, necessary food,
clothing, shelter, or medical treatment or a child is permitted to live in an environment
when such deprivation or environment causes the child’s physical, mental, or emotional
health to be significantly impaired or to be in danger of being significantly impaired.
Abandonment: a situation in which the parent or legal custodian of a child, or in the
absence of a parent or legal custodian, the caregiver responsible for the child’s welfare,
while being able, makes no provision for the child’s support and makes no effort to
communicate with the child, which situation is sufficient to avoid a willful rejection of
parental obligations.
If any employee or volunteer has any belief, concern, or thought that you have
witnessed, heard, or heard, or heard about a situation possibly involving abuse, neglect,
or abandonment, by any person who is a custodian, is responsible for the child’s
welfare, or is in a supervisory capacity over the child (parent, uncle, aunt, pastor,
physician, counselor, instructor, school administrator, babysitter, etc.); you must report
your concern to the to ensure the Headmaster Ferlenciel Gray Dexter.
Ferlenciel Gray Dexter
2019 21 st Street NW
Winter Haven, FL 33881
863-280-6742 or 863-280-6740
The Headmaster will then discuss the situation with you to ensure the appropriate
reports are completed. You can also report the concern directly to the state by calling
the toll-free Abuse Hotline at (800) 962-2873.
Abuse can also be report online at:
http://www.myflfamilies.com/services/abuse/abuse-hotline. If Mrs. Dexter cannot be
reached immediately, you should report the abuse without delay. Employees who report
concerns of suspected abuse, abandonment, or neglect are
expected to cooperate in any investigation by child protective services.
In addition, under the provisions of Florida Stat. 39.203, employees who, in good faith, report
suspected child abuse, neglect, or abandonment are immune from civil or criminal
liability for reporting such information and participating in any investigation. Other than
the report itself and the communication of appropriate information to the Headmaster (or
designee), the information about the suspected child abuse, abandonment, or neglect
should remain confidential for the protection of the child.
You should understand that the failure suspected abuse, abandonment, or neglect
promptly can result in criminal charges for first-degree misdemeanor. In addition, an
educator’s teaching certificate may be suspended from any person who knowingly failed
to report child abuse, abandonment, or neglect.
Florida Statue 768.095 Employer immunity from liability: disclosure of information
regarding former or current employees. An employer who discuss information about a
former or current employee to a prospective employer of the former or current employee
upon request of the prospective employer or of the former or current employee is
immune from civil liability for such disclosed or its consequences unless it is shown by
clear and convincing evidence that information disclosed by the former or current
employer was knowingly false or violated any civil right of the former or current
employee protected under chapter 760.
