Texas Law Regarding Child Abuse and Neglect
Child abuse and neglect are against the law in Texas, and so is the failure to report it. Abuse is defined as mental, emotional, physical, or sexual injury to a child or failure to prevent such injury to a child.
Anyone who suspects a child has been abused or mistreated is required to report it to the Texas Department of Family Services (TDFS) or to a law enforcement agency as soon as possible, but no later than 48 hours before bruises and marks start to fade. The report can be made using the Abuse and Neglect Hotline (1- 800-252-5400). Your report to TDFS is confidential and not subject to public release under the Open Records Act. The law provides immunity from civil or criminal liability for innocent persons who report even unfounded suspicions, as long as the report is made in good faith. Your identity is kept confidential.
Any employee suspecting child abuse or neglect is expected to use the following procedure:
Any information about the relationship between the child and the suspected abuser.
1. Do not confront the suspected abuser or molester 2. Report the details to your supervisor immediately, including notes of the following: a. All incidents and observations, including dates and times; b. Any information about the relationship between the child and the suspected abuser c. Pertinent information that TDFS will need for its investigation: i. Name, age, and address of the child ii. Current injuries, medical problems, or behavioral problems iii. Parents’ names and names of siblings at home 3. The supervisor will then notify the Head of School of the report. Human Resources should be consulted should the claim involve any employee of Ann & Nate Levine Academy. 4. Maintain confidentiality. Information about the suspected child abuse is only to be given out or discussed on a “need to know” basis and is not to be shared with fellow employees, parents, students, or anyone outside the school other than law enforcement. 5. Make report to TDFS or local law enforcement and let them investigate. This will normally be done by the Head of School or his/her designee.
Procedure for Handling Employee Complaints
Under normal working conditions, employees who have a job-related problem, question or complaint should first discuss it with their immediate supervisor. At this level, employees usually reach the simplest, quickest, and most satisfactory solution. If the employee and supervisor do not solve the problem, Levine Academy encourages employees to contact Human Resources.
Whistleblower and Retaliation Policy
A whistleblower as defined by this policy is an employee of Ann and Nate Levine Academy who reports an activity that he or she considers to be illegal or dishonest to one or more of the parties specified in this policy. The whistleblower is not responsible for investigating the activity or for determining fault or corrective measures; appropriate management officials are charged with these responsibilities. Examples of illegal or dishonest activities are violations of federal, state or local laws; billing for services not performed; and other fraudulent financial reporting. If an employee has knowledge of or a concern of illegal or dishonest fraudulent activity, the employee is to contact his or her supervisor, Human Resources, the Controller, the Head of School or Board President. The employee must exercise sound judgment to avoid baseless allegations. An employee
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