MONTGOMERY, Ala. — A bill that would require Alabama public school teachers to go through training on inappropriate relationships with students cleared its first hurdle Tuesday morning.
The Educator-Student Interaction Training Act, sponsored by Sen. Cam Ward (R-Alabaster) received approval from the Senate Education Policy Committee.
The bill would require teachers to receive one hour of training on a variety of topics, ranging from what type of physical contact is inappropriate to how they should interact with students on social media and outside of the classroom.
The bill comes just days after the Decatur Police Department arrested a 42-year-old teacher for having sex with students. Carrie Cabri Witt, a psychology and social studies teacher at Decatur High School, is accused have sexual relations with at least two students under the age of 19.
Two weeks ago a 37-year-old algebra teacher at Central High Freshman Academy in Phenix city was also charged with having sex with one of her students.
And earlier this year a former Alabama high school teacher avoided charges that she had sex with one of her students because she decided to marry him.
The Educator-Student Interaction Training Act references the recent incidents and calls for a mandatory seminar on appropriate and inappropriate teacher-student interaction.
“The overwhelming majority of educators in the public schools of the state are dedicated professionals who comport themselves accordingly,” the bill says. “However, an increasing number of incidents have been reported in recent years where educators have had inappropriate contact with students, both in person and through social media, and in the contexts of discipline and inappropriate relationships.
“Bringing together public education stakeholders to develop and disseminate additional training for educators on appropriate conduct should help reduce the number of such incidents and ensure the safety and well-being of public school students.”
The bill can be read in full on the legislature’s website.
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