Transcript

Host: Hello, and welcome to Prevention and Protection, the United Educators risk management podcast. Today, Jayde Bennett and Alisa Barnard from Learning Courage will speak with Melanie Bennett, Senior Risk Management Counsel at United Educators. A reminder to listeners that you can find other UE podcasts, as well as UE risk management resources, on our website, www.ue.org. Our podcasts are also available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Now here’s Melanie. 

Melanie Bennett: Thank you. Jayde and Alisa, I’m so pleased to have you both on the program for the first time today. Welcome, Jayde. 

Jayde Bennett: Hi, Melanie. Thank you for having us. 

Melanie Bennett: And hi, Alisa. Good to have you here. 

Alisa Barnard: Happy to be here. Thank you.  

Melanie Bennett: Before we begin, I’d like to offer a trigger warning as this episode discusses sexual abuse. Today we’re talking about the importance of addressing sexual misconduct prevention throughout the year, and we’ll also be talking about risk planning committees. Jayde, let’s start out by talking a little bit about what Learning Courage is and what you do. What is Learning Courage? And how do you help schools prevent and respond to sexual abuse? 

Jayde Bennett: Learning Courage is a nonprofit organization that partners with K-12 independent schools and other youth-serving organizations across the country. And we do so to help prevent sexual misconduct, reduce harm, and foster long-term healing. And really, our work is all about helping schools build cultures of accountability, cultures of compassion and care so that every student can thrive in a safe and supportive environment. 

In practice, that looks like serving as both a resource and an accountability partner. We offer customized training for every layer of the school community — teachers, coaches, administrators, students, families, etc. We cover topics like healthy boundaries, mandatory reporting obligations, and for students, things like upstander intervention and how to recognize signs and symptoms of misconduct. 

Another aspect of our work is helping schools build or refine their incident response plans before something happens. We want schools to be prepared, not just legally, but with clarity, coordination, and trauma-informed awareness. 

Finally, we conduct sexual misconduct risk assessments, which involves time on campus, talking to different constituency groups, reviewing policies, and assessing culture. From that, we help develop a detailed action plan that school leaders can put into practice. 

Melanie Bennett: You mentioned incident response plans. We’ve seen schools struggle to respond when big reports of educator sexual misconduct make the papers. What lessons have you learned that can help schools when they need to quickly respond to major incidents? 

Jayde Bennett: We’ve seen just how disorienting it can be for schools in responding to reports of misconduct, especially when cases go public. Schools are under intense pressure, and how they handle those early hours and days really sets the tone for everything that follows. 

Our key lessons are: 

1. Start with care, not control. Protecting reputation is natural, but centering survivors, students, and trust should come first. Defensive responses backfire, while acknowledgement of harm builds credibility. 
   
   
2. Transparency builds trust. Schools don’t need all the answers but should say what they know, what they’re learning, and what’s next. 
   
   
3. Coordinate early. Have a small, cross-functional team (Head of School, Legal, Communications, student support, etc.) with a unified response. 
   
   
4. Support survivors throughout the process — past and present — with trauma-informed care. It’s not just about compliance, it’s about healing. 

Melanie Bennett: And as we know, there are many risks for schools to look at, and it can be hard for schools to figure out which risks to prioritize. Why should schools prioritize sexual misconduct training and action? 

Jayde Bennett: Prevention is protection. Educators have both a legal and moral obligation to protect students. Schools that engage proactively build cultures where students feel safe, believed, and able to learn. 

Student safety is foundational to learning. Without it, engagement and learning are compromised. Independent schools are uniquely positioned to model respect, boundaries, and accountability, equipping adults with the tools to prevent harm and respond with care. Acting on these commitments — through policies and daily actions — shows families what the school truly stands for. 

Melanie Bennett: And Alisa, we also want to talk about risk committees. What is a risk committee? And why should schools have them? 

Alisa Barnard: Schools face many risks — from sexual misconduct to physical plant issues to reputational threats. Risk committees anticipate these risks and prepare responses. 

We recommend a three-part charge: 

1. Stay current on best practices and safety trends.
   
   
2. Anticipate scenarios and articulate response considerations.
   
   
3. Meet regularly to reflect on recent responses and identify gaps.  

Committees should establish guiding values ahead of time so that in crisis, schools respond from strength, not fear. This prevents defensive responses that create greater risk. 

Melanie Bennett: Who should be included in the risk committee? Is it limited to leadership? Should faculty be included? 

Alisa Barnard: Each school is unique, but we encourage broad inclusion. Obvious members include the Head of School, CFO, Communications lead, Safety/Security, and academic leadership. Health services, counseling, facilities, and even food services (at boarding schools) should be considered. Thinking broadly ensures risks are fully addressed. 

Melanie Bennett: And how often should the risk committee meet? 

Alisa Barnard: Ideally monthly. It should be a sacred time, not pushed aside for day-to-day tasks. Schools might alternate meetings between tabletop exercises and debriefs of recent events. 

At least annually, invite local first responders to strengthen community partnerships before crises occur. These relationships pay dividends in emergencies. 

Melanie Bennett: Whenever I talk to Learning Courage, I appreciate your insights. Have you seen any emerging issues or trends to highlight? 

Alisa Barnard: Two big ones: 

• Proliferation of deepfake sexual images, which many schools are unprepared for. 

• The intersection of student mental health and misconduct — these issues overlap more than schools often realize. 

Jayde Bennett: I’d add that shifts in Title IX policy create uncertainty. Independent schools need inclusive frameworks that protect all students regardless of identity. 

Melanie Bennett: I also want to point out Learning Courage’s partnership with UE in the Risk Management Premium Credit Program. Can you tell us more about your assessment work? 

Alisa Barnard: We love assessments because they’re both preventative and relationship-building. Every three to five years, our team spends several days embedded on campus, talking to students, staff, faculty, and leadership. We look at culture, training, auxiliary programs, policies, leadership alignment, communications, physical environment, and overall safety philosophy. 

It’s a holistic review that helps schools align what they aspire to do with what’s actually happening, ultimately building safer, stronger communities. 

Melanie Bennett: Great. For anyone interested in learning more, we’ll provide a link on the podcast webpage with more information. That’s it for today’s podcast. Thank you, Jayde and Alisa, for joining me today. 

Jayde Bennett: Thank you for having us. 

Alisa Barnard: Thank you.  

Host: From United Educators insurance, this is the Prevention and Protection Podcast. For additional episodes and other risk management resources, please visit www.ue.org.