Earlier this week, a high school teacher from the public school district where I live was arrested in a local park and charged with sexual battery. He is accused of having sexual contact with a student.
First, let me clarify that we are not working on this situation but have worked on many other cases where someone in authority is accused of inappropriate behavior with children. And since friends and neighbors know what I do, several have approached me over the past few days to ask my opinion about the school district’s response. I, in turn, ask what they think.
What’s interesting is the difference in perception. Those who do not have children in the high school tend to be satisfied with the district’s response. But parents of high school students have expressed frustration about the lack of information from school officials. This reinforces two primary principles of good crisis communications:
- Communicate first with those who are most affected by the situation. If at all possible, share the news with them before they learn about it in the media. This will increase your credibility with these critical audiences.
- Humanize your communication. Provide opportunities for face-to-face interactions and two-way conversations. It’s important for students, parents, faculty and staff to ask questions and share their concerns. Even if you can’t answer many of their questions – and there are limits to what you can say in a criminal case – share what you can and explain that you can’t share details without jeopardizing the investigation. And, of course, do everything you can to protect the privacy of the victim(s).
There is no “one size fits all” strategy in a crisis. However, it’s important to think beyond the media and remember that you have spent decades building relationships with your stakeholders – in this case, the victim, parents, faculty & staff, students, alumni, and so on . When something bad happens, finding ways to address their concerns must be a top priority. You may not be able to answer every question but at least give them an opportunity to be heard.
