If you are assaulted, threatened, cursed at or verbally harassed on school grounds by anyone — a student, a parent, an intruder or anyone else — you should immediately notify your principal and UFT chapter leader. This applies whether or not you suffer any physical injuries. You must file an Occurrence Report and Comprehensive Injury Report within 24 hours of the assault detailing what transpired. If you are unable to fill out the report due to injuries, your chapter leader and/or a colleague can do that for you. If you are unsure whether what happened to you constitutes an assault, you should still fill out both reports.
You also should file a UFT Safety/Incident Report online. You can also get a form from your chapter leader. Once you’ve completed it, fax it to the UFT Safety Department (212-677-6612). If your injuries prevent you from filling out the UFT Safety/Incident Report, you or your chapter leader should call your UFT borough office. In an emergency, you can get immediate union assistance by calling the UFT Safety and Health hotline at 212-707-9407 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. during the regular school year and between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. during the summer.
Your chapter leader will notify your UFT district representative and the union’s Victim Support Program (212-598-6853) of the incident. If you need or want help, the Victim Support Program will provide you with counseling, legal advice, help dealing with medical matters, and violence-prevention training. You might also consider pressing charges against the assailant.
Your principal is required to investigate what happened to you and write a full report, which should include statements by all the witnesses who were present during the incident. You must sign the report to acknowledge that you have seen it, but you can attach a statement of your own if you don’t believe it adequately states the facts. Finally, you or your chapter leader should make sure that your principal has notified the DOE’s Office of Legal Services (212-374-6888) and the Director of School Safety (718-730-8800) within 24 hours.
See what the contract says about assault »
Also see Injury in the line of Duty, School Safety, Workers' Compensation, Victim Support Program.