School districts are handling complaints, particularly those involving physical or sexual misconduct with a student, much more cautiously than they did a few years ago.
Administrative leave is a general term for the temporary removal from a job assignment.
An employee on administrative leave continues to receive pay and benefits during the leave, which can be as short as a day or as long as several months, depending on the circumstances. In some cases, a district might temporarily reassign an employee rather than send him home. A school district might place an employee on administrative leave pending the resolution of a criminal case, even when the case is not directly school related, such as a DWI charge. Most often, however, school districts place employees on administrative leave when students, parents or co-workers make allegations of misconduct against them. It is the policy of many districts to remove the employee from the situation while investigating the allegations.