You are here

502.2 Interviews of Students

INTERVIEWS OF STUDENTS

School Interviews.  District personnel shall have the authority to conduct investigations and to question students pertaining to infractions of school rules and District matters whether or not the alleged conduct is a violation of the criminal law.  The student's parents need not be contacted prior to the interview, except that if a student in grades prekindergarten through sixth is to be interviewed in connection with an alleged incident of sexual abuse of a student by an employee, the parents or guardians of the student to be interviewed shall be notified and shall have an opportunity to observe and hear the interview or to send a representative in their place.

Community Resource Personnel.  Area Education Agency, community mental health and other community organization personnel shall schedule interviews with students through the building principal.  Permission must be given by the student's parent or guardian for such outside agencies, other than child abuse investigators, to interview students at school.

Child Abuse Investigations.  The District shall cooperate with the Department of Human Services  in matters relating to alleged cases of child abuse or neglect.  As required by law, the building principal shall allow Department of Human Services personnel to have confidential access to a child named in a child abuse report and to other children alleged to have relevant information.  The building principal need not report the investigation or interview to the child's parent or guardian.

Law Enforcement Personnel.  The Superintendent or building principal shall determine when the necessity exists for law enforcement officials to be contacted to conduct an investigation of matters which may jeopardize the safety of school personnel or students, which may endanger school property, or which may interfere with the operation of the schools.  An administrator or other designated professional District employee may be present during the questioning, except in Level Two Investigations under Code No. 507.10.  The student's parent or guardian need not be contacted prior to the interview unless the student is first taken into custody by law enforcement officials.

Students shall not be released into the custody of law enforcement personnel unless the student has been placed under arrest, or is being removed for disorderly conduct at school, or unless the student's parent or guardian agrees to the release if the student is a minor or the student agrees to release if not a minor.

 

Date of Last Review:  October 14, 2019

Date of Revision:

December 9, 2002              

 

 

Legal References:

232.11, 232.19, 232.71B, 279.8, 280.17, 280.17A,                                                       

280.24, Code of Iowa; 281 I.A.C. 12.3(6), 

Chapter 102                                                  

 

543229

DECORAH COMMUNITY SCHOOL BOARD OF DIRECTORS