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I'm not necessarily going against what everyone else is saying, but I am going to recommend caution. Some people "look creepy" for a myriad of innocent reasons. Our gut feelings are probably our most prejudiced, bigoted areas of judgment because they are the most unexamined. That doesn't mean they are always wrong, but they are not always right.
Sure, keep your eyes and ears open. But I recommend being cautious about mounting some kind of whisper campaign where everyone you know is watching him for a misstep. Shouldn't there be policies and procedures in place already to safeguard students? Like I say, I'd recommend staying alert, but I wouldn't escalate the situation without some solid proof. I might also recommend examining what it is that makes this guy seem creepy to you. Spectrum-y? Awkward? Lascivious? Effeminate?
I was thinking the same. I would also add that they have a conversation with the person. Maybe you could alleviate the feeling OR maybe pinpoint it.
What makes this person “creepy “ to you? High-fiving is perfectly fine between a coach and his athletes. Motivational talks are also acceptable. If you just have a sense that something is wrong, then I would say to keep a watchful eye on the situation, but be careful about who you share your feelings with.
Derailing a coworkers life on a personal feeling is terrible advice.
I say the same thing as the other commenters. Trust your gut, keep an eye on him and the students he is “mentoring.”
Have you even casually talked to him? I ask that because if you feel off while just talking to him in general then your body might know before you do (subconscious if that makes sense). Proceed with caution might be the best fit now and if your gut, not just your head, is telling you something isn’t right tell someone. We’re mandated reports for a reason.
We have gut feelings for a reason. They’re a quick read on a situation and generally the first warning of danger.
But that said, gut instincts are limited in their scope. It’s a quick and instinctive read. They’re not 100% accurate. So I would proceed with caution. Maybe ask some students how the coach encourages them, what words he uses, etc. Keep your eyes open, because gut instincts can be very effective in warning of danger. But I wouldn’t do anything else at the moment because false alarms can absolutely destroy an innocent person’s reputation, credibility, career, and family.
You may want to start by introducing your self and having a few conversations. You may find you are over reacting. But, it you aren’t, take lots of notes when you observe him. I wouldn’t approach a student about it.
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You’re perceptive and I you’re picking up on something. Is there anything you can do? I’d keep watch and tell my good friends to keep watch too. The more eyes on this teacher, the better.
We had a visually impaired teacher who contracted w our district for many years. He was accused of fondling 5th/6th graders at another district that he contracted with and I think it’s still in court. That was long before the pandemic. The more eyes, the better.
Wow everyone, your replies here are so helpful. I feel like they all inform each other and help me with an overall perspective, some pitfalls I didn't think of too tbh. I may tell one other teacher who is a friend and qualify it with not wanting to be defamation/it's unsupported just a gut would love her read. And some of the other suggestions here. Thank you so much everyone.
See if you can talk to the students to hear what exactly is he saying to them. Ask the students are they concerned or comfortable around him???
I know I've worked with a few that have gotten fired for the same. One was showing more in his classroom during lunchtime and before school and on trips to the Keys! On the field, they know to keep low.
I’ve had ax creepy male band teacher make girls jump up and down while practicing marching . I told female students to stay far away from him when possible.
I would say stay vigilant and always trust in your gut.
Definitely keep observing, but don’t go to your coworkers and voice concerns because that is how rumors begin. Chances are if something is off your coworkers will see it, too. If you have something concrete or actual evidence that he is being inappropriate then definitely voice your concern.
Casually talk to the students. Find out if they spend time alone in the room with him. Walk by the room, see what’s going on. Ask about sports trips, who went and who slept where,etc. Keep a watchful eye. Maybe even just by being available, if something were to happen, they would be comfortable approaching you. There have been several schools in my district where things went down. These perpetrators can be easy to brush you off, say excuses and everyone believes the reasons for the situations, for the inappropriateness. Trust your gut. The last one had us fooled so bad.
Your intuition is telling you something, listen to it. Keep watching and listening.
Be vigilant in watching this person, while also remembering at this point you don’t have any proof of wrongdoing. Confide in one other staff member you can trust with your suspicions. Have them watch as well. Another poster suggested that you tell many other staff and have them watch as well. I would not recommend this. Law suits for defamation are alive and well in our schools these days and accusations with no proof don’t win cases or credibility. Also remember that there are people who just give you the creeps even though others may not feel that. The best thing you can do now is just to keep your eyes and ears open and try to be “there” when this person try’s to engage with students.
A feeling you have constitutes you needing to “do something”? What if someone has a feeling about you? High fiving his students does not seem inappropriate at all.
If you know the student(s) who are being affected, you can talk to them directly and see how they feel about the situation. They may be able to provide more information about the staff member's behavior.
If you are concerned, offer a question in jest “so you coaching those girls on to the Olympic team?”
Watch his demeanor as he responds.
👋🏻Any updates about what’s happened? Hope it turned out ok 🤞