2011 Missouri Revised Statutes
TITLE XI EDUCATION AND LIBRARIES
Chapter 162 School Districts
Section 162.069. Employee-student communications, written policy required--training materials, required content.

162.069. 1. Every school district shall, by March 1, 2012, promulgate a written policy concerning employee-student communication. Such policy shall include, but not be limited to, the use of electronic media and other mechanisms to prevent improper communications between staff members and students.

2. Every school district shall, by July 1, 2012, include in its teacher and employee training a component that provides up-to-date and reliable information on identifying signs of sexual abuse in children and danger signals of potentially abusive relationships between children and adults. The training shall emphasize the importance of mandatory reporting of abuse under section 210.115 including the obligation of mandated reporters to report suspected abuse by other mandated reporters, and how to establish an atmosphere of trust so that students feel their school has concerned adults with whom they feel comfortable discussing matters related to abuse.

(L. 2011 S.B. 54, A.L. 2011 1st Ex. Sess. S.B. 1)

Effective 2-03-12

The following language is the text of Section 162.069 as enacted by S.B. 54, 2011.

"162.069. 1. Every school district shall, by January 1, 2012, promulgate a written policy concerning teacher-student communication and employee-student communication. Such policy shall contain at least the following elements: (1) Appropriate oral and nonverbal personal communication, which may be combined with or included in any policy on sexual harassment; and (2) Appropriate use of electronic media such as text messaging and internet sites for both instructional and personal purposes, with an element concerning use of social networking sites no less stringent than the provisions of subsections 2, 3, and 4 of this section. 2. As used in this section, the following terms shall mean: (1) "Exclusive access", the information on the website is available only to the owner (teacher) and user (student) by mutual explicit consent and where third parties have no access to the information on the website absent an explicit consent agreement with the owner (teacher); (2) "Former student", any person who was at one time a student at the school at which the teacher is employed and who is eighteen years of age or less and who has not graduated; (3) "Nonwork-related internet site", any internet website or web page used by a teacher primarily for personal purposes and not for educational purposes; (4) "Work-related internet site", any internet website or web pages used by a teacher for educational purposes. 3. No teacher shall establish, maintain, or use a work-related internet site unless such site is available to school administrators and the child's legal custodian, physical custodian, or legal guardian. 4. No teacher shall establish, maintain, or use a nonwork-related internet site which allows exclusive access with a current or former student. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed as prohibiting a teacher from establishing a nonwork-related internet site, provided the site is used in accordance with this section. 5. Every school district shall, by July 1, 2012, include in its teacher and employee training a component that provides up-to-date and reliable information on identifying signs of sexual abuse in children and danger signals of potentially abusive relationships between children and adults. The training shall emphasize the importance of mandatory reporting of abuse under section 210.115 including the obligation of mandated reporters to report suspected abuse by other mandated reporters, and how to establish an atmosphere of trust so that students feel their school has concerned adults with whom they feel comfortable discussing matters related to abuse."

Annotation Copyright Missouri Joint Committee on Legislative Research