Expectations and Training for Adults at Exeter

PEA has extensive policies and procedures in place that govern our hiring process, set clear guidelines for the conduct of all faculty and staff members, and ensure that appropriate action is taken in the event of inappropriate conduct. Our training programs provide all employees with guidance and tools to help ensure healthy and safe student-adult relationships.

To support these standards, we have the following policies and trainings:

  • The Academy’s strict Code of Conduct prohibits improper adult-student interactions and does not tolerate sexually inappropriate touching and/or interaction of any kind between adults (faculty, administrators, staff and other employees, as well as volunteers) and students, regardless of age, including all forms of sexual activity and sexual harassment. Violators of this policy will be subject to serious penalties, up to and including termination and being barred from campus.
     
  • The Academy reports sexual assaults and other violations of New Hampshire’s Safe School Zones Act to the Exeter Police Department and the New Hampshire Division for Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) for official action.
     
  • All faculty and staff undergo a background check before they are hired and repeat background checks every five years. The same is true of all adult family members living on campus.
     
  • Every three years, Academy employees receive comprehensive training about sexual abuse and assault, including their responsibilities under New Hampshire mandated reporting laws and about establishing appropriate boundaries when working with students or colleagues. This training explicitly addresses appropriate interactions with students and defines prohibited behavior, including sexual or romantic interactions.
     
  • Faculty annually participate in training presented by the Exeter Police Department, HAVEN and the Rockingham County Attorney’s Office on reporting obligations and sexual violence.
     
  • Over 80 faculty and staff have participated in Restorative Justice Circle training. It continues to be offered as a tool for conducting difficult conversations, including talking about sexual misconduct.
     
  • Faculty participate in regular workshops about the impacts of trauma.