Yet just as administrators must know when to bring in outside help, they must realize that doing so doesn't necessarily get them off the hook. Many instances of sexual impropriety by staff members do not rise to the level of prosecutable crimes. For that reason, school supervisors must be prepared to make disciplinary cases against employees on the grounds that their conduct violates professional standards. To help prevent that scenario, some experts say principals need at least some training in investigating sexual wrongdoing by employees. Still, many advise them to reach out for expertise rather than attempt a full-blown investigation themselves.
Some larger districts have employees who specialize in examining employee misconduct.
But for smaller ones, officials can consider hiring outside investigators if the probes by police of child-protection officials are insufficient. Besides greater know-how, independent investigators offer the advantage of relative impartiality, some experts argue. N.Y. Some observers believe that such assurances are strongly needed. A principal's got too much of a conflict going on to be the one to do the investigation. And in some cases, the reverse can be true, as evidence gathered by school officials proves useful to the authorities.