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EDUCATION

Teachers afraid to hug pupils

Linda Borg
lborg@providencejournal.com
Hemond

PROVIDENCE — When an allegation of sexual abuse by a Providence teacher went unreported to the state Department of Children, Youth and Families this spring, Providence schools quickly revised their policies so such an incident wouldn't fall through the system again.

But there has been unintended consequences from the district's efforts to comply with a new state law that says any allegations of sex abuse by a school employee must be reported to DCYF within 24 hours. 

More teachers and principals have been placed on administrative leave while DCYF investigates abuse allegations, leaving some schools and classrooms temporarily short-handed, according to both the union president and the schools superintendent. At one point this fall, 48 educators were on administrative leave at different times while suspicions of some form of misconduct were being reviewed, according to School Board President Nicholas Hemond.

Most of the 48 who had been placed on leave have been cleared of wrongdoing, said Laura Hart, School Department spokeswoman.

The school district has a shortage of long-term substitute teachers, although this problem extends beyond Providence, according to Teachers Union President Maribeth Callabro.  

And some teachers are afraid of touching a student because it might be perceived as harassment.

"I would never say, 'We don't want to report on obvious cases of abuse,'" Callabro said. "But DCYF is overwhelmed investigating false claims. More teachers than ever are being taken off the job for reports of abuse, and quite frankly, some of them are unfounded. The pendulum seems to have swung in the completely opposite direction. Now everything gets reported."

In June, a gym teacher at Kizirian Elementary School was charged with five counts of child molestation. The following month, the school's principal, Violet LeMar, was charged with failure to report the allegations to DCYF and placed on paid administrative leave.

Although the teacher, James Duffy, was immediately removed from the school, the School Department never contacted DCYF. The lawyer for LeMar said she contacted the district's human resources office, which said it would take over the case.     

The highly publicized case led Supt. Christopher N. Maher to bring in DCYF to conduct training sessions on the new reporting requirements.   

But the district's efforts to comply with the new law have left teachers feeling that no one has their backs.

Callabro said teachers are worried about their jobs and their safety because they feel they can't discipline students without fear of being reported or placed on leave. 

"I don't blame them," Hemond said. "What's happened in the last six months has had a negative impact on all the goodwill" that Maher and his team have cultivated over the past two and a half years.

"There seems to be a lack of understanding of what's reasonable," Callabro said. "If I place my hand on a child's shoulder to redirect him, I'm not going to do that any more for fear of upsetting the child."

DCYF Director Trista Piccola said she understands why teachers are so upset: "I feel terrible for them," she said. "It's heartbreaking to hear, 'I can't hug a child.'"

But she also wants to be very clear: "We need people to call us when they feel like there is something going on. Don't ever feel discouraged from making those calls. Our job is to screen them. Let us figure out how to handle the volume."

The challenge is getting everyone to agree on what constitutes a "reasonable belief" that sexual abuse has occurred. Providence school leaders have been meeting since September with DCYF, community leaders and youth groups to find an answer to this question.

The problem, Hemond said, is that he gets one answer from DCYF and another from Day One, an advocacy group for victims of domestic violence. 

Meanwhile, Superintendent Maher said no one has been placed on administrative leave for "high-fiving, fist-bumping or hugging."

Meanwhile, teachers are also reeling from another highly publicized incident.

In November, students filmed an assistant principal at Central High School pinning a student to the floor after the student allegedly threatened the administrator. The educator resigned before the School Department could investigate what happened, but some educators felt he had been pressured to step down, an impression that was underscored when the Providence police later declined to bring charges.

Both Maher and Hemond want teachers to know that their due-process rights will not be denied, including the opportunity to appeal any punishment to the school board.

Although a few teachers allege that students have set them up, Maher said he hasn't seen any evidence of false reporting. But, he said, if he becomes aware of any false claims, there will be serious consequences for the student.

Maher understands why teachers are feeling overwhelmed. He knows that the schools need a period of healing. To begin that process, he plans to visit every school to hear what teachers have to say, to listen to their fears and frustrations.

"I want them to feel that their voice will be heard," he said.

Maher added that he wants teachers to understand that this is not about appropriate touching.

"Your kids are going to hug you," he said.

— lborg@providencejournal.com

(401) 277-7823

CLARIFICATION: Educators placed on leave were not on leave at the same time. An earlier version of this story did not make that clear.

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