ARTICLE 28 ASSAULT OR INJURY 

Westerly School District

In case of an assault or injury occurring in connection with the teacher's employment the following procedure shall apply:

1. A teacher shall report immediately to his/her Principal any case of assault and/or injury suffered by him/her in connection with his/her employment.

2. This report shall be forwarded to the Superintendent or his/her designee who shall then provide all pertinent information to and act as liaison between the teacher and legal authorities.

3. It shall be the duty of the Superintendent or his/her designee to investigate the assault and/or injury and to report the findings to the Committee.

4. If criminal or civil proceedings are brought against a teacher, alleging that he/she committed an assault in connection with his/her employment said teacher may request, in writing, that the Committee furnish legal counsel to defend him/her in such proceedings. The Committee will evaluate the request and the circumstances of the assault and shall provide counsel or reimbursement of counsel fees, if the teacher's case is deemed meritorious.

5. Whenever a teacher is absent from school as the result of personal injury caused by an assault or injury occurring in the course of his/her employment, said teacher may request the Committee to pay his/her full salary. The Committee will evaluate the request and the circumstances of the assault and shall pay full salary (less workers' compensation, income disability and/or damages recovered from the date of injury) if the teacher's case is deemed meritorious.

6. The Committee shall have the right to have the teacher examined .by a physician designated by the Committee for the purpose of establishing a length of time during which the teacher is temporarily disabled from performing his/her duties, and the opinion of said physician as to the said period shall control.

7. The Committee shall reimburse teachers for:

A. Any clothing or other personal property, excluding automobiles, damaged or destroyed in the course of an assault provided said assault had not been caused by the teacher.

B. The cost of medical, surgical, and hospital services less the amount of worker's compensation and/or damages recovered from any source incurred as the result of an assault sustained in the course of employment.