Report an incident that happens at school

Find out how to report student incidents that happen at school, at a school related activity or could have a negative impact on the school climate. This information is for school board employees.

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Overview

If an incident that involves a student occurs at school, at a school-related activity or in any other circumstances where the student's behaviour can have a negative impact on the school climate:

• school board employees must report the incident to their principal
• principals must contact the parents of students involved

Some examples of inappropriate and disrespectful behaviour include racist, sexual, sexist or homophobic comments, slurs and jokes or graffiti. Read the full list of incidents that must be reported.

You must report incidents even if a student asks you not to tell anyone about an incident. The only time you do not need to report immediately is if doing so would cause immediate physical harm to yourself, a student or any other person. In these cases, you must report the incident to the principal as soon as it is safe to do so.

Note that on this page, the word parents refer to a student’s:

• parent or parents
• guardian or guardians
• caregivers or close family members who are responsible for raising the child

Types of incidents you must report

These activities can lead to suspension for students in Grades 4 to 12. Students in junior kindergarten to Grade 3 cannot be suspended for these activities. However, these incidents are still unacceptable and you must report them to the principal.

You must report it when a student:

• utters a threat to inflict serious bodily harm on another person
• possesses alcohol, cannabis (unless the student is authorized to use cannabis for medical purposes) or illegal drugs
• is under the influence of alcohol or cannabis (unless the student is authorized to use cannabis for medical purposes)
• swears at a teacher or at any person in a position of authority
• commits an act of vandalism that causes extensive damage to school property at the student's school or to property on school premises
• bullies another student, including cyber-bullying
• does any other activity that is identified in school board policy

You can ask your principal for the activities that are in your school board policy.

Activities that can lead to expulsion

These activities can lead to expulsion for all students:

• possessing a weapon, including a firearm
• using a weapon to cause or to threaten bodily harm to another person
• committing physical assault on another person that causes bodily harm requiring treatment by a medical practitioner
• committing sexual assault
• trafficking in weapons or in illegal drugs
• committing robbery
• giving alcohol or cannabis to a minor
• bullying, if:
  • a student has previously been suspended for engaging in bullying
  • the student's continuing presence in the school creates an unacceptable risk to the safety of another person

  Incidents off school property

  If the incident occurred off school property and not at a school event, and will not have an impact on the school climate, you can direct the student to a community agency, such as Kids Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868 , which provides a confidential counselling service 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

  All school board employees must report incidents

  All school board employees are required to report incidents in writing to their principal.

  Board employees include:

  • principals and vice principals
  • administrative and custodial staff
  • teachers and educational assistants
  • early childhood educators employed by the board
  • non-teaching staff, such as those involved in social work, child and youth work, psychology and other related disciplines
  • staff in before-school and after-school programs for children in kindergarten to Grade 6 that are operated by school boards
  • staff in before-school and after-school programs for children in kindergarten to Grade 6 operated by:
    • community organizations
    • child care centres which have entered into an agreement with the school board

    Social workers and psychologists

    Social workers and psychologists who have a clinical relationship with a student must report incidents to the principal as soon as it is reasonably possible to do so without having a negative impact on their clinical relationship with the student.

    As a social worker or psychologist, you must report incidents or behaviours that could result in the student doing physical, emotional or psychological harm to themselves or to others.

    How to respond

    Responding may include

    • identifying the inappropriate behaviour
    • asking the student to stop the inappropriate behaviour
    • explaining why it is inappropriate or disrespectful
    • asking the student to change their behaviour in future
    • providing support for positive behaviour

    When responding to an incident that involves a student with special education needs, you must respond in a way that takes into account information in the student's Individual Education Plan.

    After you report to the principal

    There will be an investigation

    Any incidents you report to the principal will be investigated.

    The principal must communicate the results of their investigation with you. The principal is only required to disclose the information that is necessary to communicate the results of the investigation.

    There might be disciplinary action

    The principal determines what disciplinary action, if any, is required. Through progressive discipline, the principal will determine appropriate consequences and supports to help students improve their behaviour.

    The principal will take the student’s individual circumstances into account when determining disciplinary action.

    If the incident leads to a suspension, the principal must make an effort to inform the parents of the student who engaged in the incident (unless the student is 18 years old or older), within 24 hours of the incident. Parents also receive written notice telling them the:

    • reason for the suspension
    • duration of the suspension
    • appeal process

    If the suspension is for more than five school days, the principal will provide information about a program to support the student.

    Contacting the student’s parents

    The principal will inform the parents of the student who engaged in the incident. If another student was harmed, the principal will inform their parents.

    Principals must invite the parents of the student who was harmed and the student who engaged in the incident to have a discussion about the supports that will be provided for their child.

    The principal must contact the parent(s) of the student who engaged in the incident

    The principal must tell parents about:

    • the incident
    • the nature of the harm to the other student
    • any disciplinary measures taken in response to the incident
    • the supports that will be provided for their child in response to the incident

    The principal cannot give any identifying information about the student who was harmed in the incident.

    The principal must contact the parent(s) of the student who was harmed

    The principal must tell parents about:

    • the incident
    • the harm to their child
    • what steps were taken to protect their child's safety, including any disciplinary measures taken in response to the incident
    • the supports that will be provided for their child in response to the incident

    The principal cannot give any other personal information (for example, referral to counselling), about the student who has engaged in the incident.

    When the principal does not contact parents

    A principal must not call the parents of either student if:

    • the student is 18 years old or older or is a 16- or 17-year-old student who has withdrawn from parental control
    • the principal believes that telling the parent(s) would put the student at risk of harm from the parent(s)

    If the principal thinks that telling the student’s parents would put the student as risk of harm, the principal must notify the superintendent.

    The principal might call the police

    Depending on the incident, police may be called. Principals must follow their local police or school board protocols when involving police.

    The principal might call the children’s aid society

    When school board employees believe that a student may be in need of protection, they must continue to follow the usual procedure and call the children's aid society as required by the Child, Youth and Family Services Act.

    Consequences of not reporting

    If a principal learns that any member of the school staff has not reported an incident, the matter should be dealt with as a human resource issue, consistent with school board human resources policies and collective agreements.

    All staff who hold teaching certificates, including teachers, principals and superintendents, are governed by the Ontario College of Teachers Act ( OCTA ), and regulations. Regulation 437/97, Professional Misconduct, under the OCTA lists activities that are considered to be professional misconduct.

    Related

    • Contact your school principal
    • Visit your school board website
    • Creating safe and accepting schools