Overview
Discipline cases in Athena ERP provide structured tracking for:- Incident reporting - Document what happened, when, and where
- Participant tracking - Record involved students, staff, and guardians
- Case progression - Track cases through phases from initial report to resolution
- Event timeline - Maintain chronological record of actions and decisions
- Due process compliance - Ensure procedural fairness and documentation
- Resolution tracking - Document outcomes and interventions
The discipline system is designed to support restorative justice approaches and comply with Colombian educational law (particularly due process requirements).
Creating a Discipline Case
Initial Incident Report
- Navigate to Discipline → Cases
- Click Report Incident
- Enter incident details:
- Incident date - When the incident occurred
- Location - Where it happened (classroom, playground, cafeteria, etc.)
- Description - Detailed narrative of what happened
- Category - Type of incident (see categories below)
- Severity - Minor, moderate, or severe
- Initial phase - Typically “initial_report” or “investigation”
- Add participants (see below)
- Create initial event documenting the report
- Click Create Case
Incident Categories
Common categories:- Academic misconduct (cheating, plagiarism)
- Disrespect or insubordination
- Disruption of learning environment
- Physical altercation or fighting
- Bullying or harassment
- Property damage
- Attendance/truancy issues
- Technology misuse
- Substance policy violations
- Safety violations
Severity Levels
Minor
Minor
First-time, low-impact incidents that can typically be resolved through classroom management or brief interventions.Examples:
- Minor disruptions
- Dress code violations
- Tardiness
- Forgotten materials
Moderate
Moderate
Incidents requiring administrative involvement, parent contact, and documented interventions.Examples:
- Repeated minor violations
- Disrespectful behavior
- Minor physical altercations
- Academic dishonesty
Severe
Severe
Serious incidents requiring immediate intervention, formal due process, and potentially significant consequences.Examples:
- Fighting or assault
- Serious bullying or harassment
- Threats or dangerous behavior
- Substance violations
- Major property damage
Case Participants
Every case can involve multiple participants with different roles:Adding Participants
When creating or editing a case:- Click Add Participant
- Select participant type:
- Student - Students involved (offenders or victims)
- Staff - Teachers or administrators involved
- Guardian - Parents or guardians contacted
- Choose individual from dropdown
- Assign role:
- Involved student (primary)
- Witness
- Reporter
- Victim
- Guardian notified
- Administrator handling
A single case can have many participants. For example, a bullying incident might include the student who bullied, the victim, witnesses, the reporting teacher, the principal, and guardians of all students involved.
Case Progression and Phases
Discipline cases move through phases as they are processed:
Updating phase:
- Open case details
- Click Update Case
- Change phase
- Add event documenting the phase change (see below)
- Click Save
Case Events
Events create a chronological timeline of everything that happens during a case:Adding Events
- Open case details
- Scroll to Events section
- Click Add Event
- Enter:
- Event type (see types below)
- Event date - When this action occurred
- Title - Brief summary
- Body - Detailed description or notes
- Click Save
Event Types
Common event types:- Incident report - Initial documentation
- Investigation notes - Findings from investigation
- Witness statement - Account from witness
- Guardian contact - Record of parent communication
- Student statement - Student’s account or response
- Meeting - Disciplinary conference or hearing
- Decision - Official determination and consequences
- Intervention - Support services or behavioral contract
- Follow-up - Progress check or update
- Case closure - Final notes and case conclusion
Resolution Types
When resolving a case, document the resolution type:- Warning - Verbal or written warning
- Parent conference - Meeting with guardians
- Detention - After-school or lunch detention
- Suspension - In-school or out-of-school suspension
- Behavioral contract - Written agreement for improvement
- Counseling - Referral to counseling services
- Restorative circle - Mediation with all parties
- Skill-building - Social-emotional learning intervention
- Transfer - Change of class or school
- Expulsion - Permanent removal (rare, serious cases only)
- No action - Investigation determined no violation
- Open case details
- Click Update Case
- Select resolution type
- Enter resolution notes (details of consequence or intervention)
- Add event documenting the resolution
- Set phase to “resolved” or “closed”
- Enter closed date if case is finished
- Click Save
Searching and Filtering Cases
Find cases quickly using filters: Filter by:- Phase - View cases in specific phase (e.g., all cases needing review)
- Severity - Focus on severe cases requiring immediate attention
- Search - Text search in description or location
- Date range - Cases from specific time period
- Incident date and location
- Primary student(s) involved
- Category and severity
- Current phase
- Resolution status
- Created date
Case Details View
Click any case to see complete information:Overview Section
- Incident date, time, and location
- Reporter (staff member who created case)
- Description of incident
- Category and severity
- Current phase and status
Participants Section
- All involved individuals
- Roles in the incident
- Links to student profiles
Events Timeline
- Chronological list of all events
- Type, date, and description
- Author of each event
Resolution Section
- Resolution type
- Detailed resolution notes
- Escalation history (if case was escalated)
- Closure date
Escalation Process
For cases requiring higher-level review:- Open case details
- Click Escalate Case
- Select recipient (coordinator, principal, etc.)
- Add escalation reason
- Click Escalate
- Record escalation timestamp
- Note who escalated and why
- Remain visible to all authorized staff
- Continue through due process phases
Due Process Compliance
Columbian educational law requires due process (“debido proceso”) for disciplinary actions, particularly those involving suspensions or serious consequences.
- Notification - Student and guardian informed of charges
- Evidence - Documentation of incident and investigation
- Right to respond - Student can present their version
- Fair hearing - Impartial review of facts
- Proportional response - Consequence fits the infraction
- Right to appeal - Ability to contest decision
- When and how guardians were notified
- Student’s statement and response
- Hearing or conference details
- Decision rationale
- Appeal process if applicable
Best Practices
Timely Documentation
Document incidents as soon as possible while details are fresh. Delays can weaken cases and memory fades.
Factual Language
Use objective, factual descriptions. Avoid opinions, judgments, or emotional language in case records.
Complete Records
Document all steps: investigation, contacts, statements, decisions. Incomplete records undermine due process.
Consistent Application
Apply behavior policies consistently across students and situations. Document any special circumstances.
Guardian Communication
Keep guardians informed at every step. Document all parent contacts with dates and summaries.
Restorative Focus
When appropriate, emphasize learning and repair over punishment. Use restorative practices and interventions.
Reports and Analytics
Useful reports to generate:- Incident frequency by category or severity
- Students with repeat incidents (for intervention)
- Resolution type effectiveness
- Average case resolution time
- Patterns by location, time of day, or grade level
Permissions
| Action | Required Permission |
|---|---|
| View cases | write:convivencia or write:due_process or read:all |
| Create cases | write:convivencia or write:due_process or write:all |
| Update cases | write:convivencia or write:due_process or write:all |
| Add events | write:convivencia or write:due_process or write:all |
| Add participants | write:convivencia or write:due_process or write:all |
| Delete cases | write:convivencia or write:due_process or write:all |
“Convivencia” refers to the Colombian concept of school coexistence and behavioral management.
Privacy and Security
Discipline records are highly sensitive:- Limited access - Only staff with discipline permissions can view cases
- Student privacy - Records not visible to other students or parents
- Audit trails - System tracks who views and edits each case
- Retention policies - Follow your school’s data retention guidelines
Related Features
- Student Management - View student discipline history
- Communications - Notify guardians of incidents
- Reports - Generate discipline analytics and trends