When an incident matters, a clear record can make the next conversation more useful. Start with what you know, preserve original material, and keep later follow-up connected to the same timeline.
This guide is an organizational aid. It is not an emergency service or a substitute for an official school, district, union, law-enforcement, or legal process.
Act while details are fresh
Record the date, time, location, participants, and what happened as soon as practical.
Separate fact from interpretation
Label what you directly saw or heard, what someone else reported, and what you believe it may mean.
Use exact language
When wording matters, quote it accurately. Do not improve, summarize, or intensify a statement after the fact.
Preserve original material
Keep emails, messages, screenshots, photographs, links, assignments, and handouts in their original form when possible.
Identify people and roles
Note the names and titles of participants, witnesses, administrators, and anyone contacted afterward.
Build one dated timeline
Keep the incident, follow-up conversations, responses, and later developments in chronological order.
Record requested action
Write down what you asked the institution or individual to do and the date by which a response was promised.
Protect private information
Store sensitive student, personnel, and contact information securely and share it only with people who need it.
Choose the right channel
Decide whether the record belongs with school leadership, an official complaint process, professional counsel, law enforcement, or JewTLA’s advocacy intake.
Ready to share the record?
Use the private JewTLA incident intake for advocacy and appropriate follow-up.