If a school hears repeated abuse allegations and does their own investigation without contacting police or CPS, is that even legal? Isn’t mandatory reporting supposed to kick in immediately? Just wondering if this happens a lot and what the rules are.
Yeah, schools are mandatory reporters. They have to contact either police or CPS right away. It’s the law in all states.
Quin said:
Yeah, schools are mandatory reporters. They have to contact either police or CPS right away. It’s the law in all states.
For real? I thought they could just handle it internally if they wanted to.
Quin said:
Yeah, schools are mandatory reporters. They have to contact either police or CPS right away. It’s the law in all states.
Nope, mandatory reporting laws mean they HAVE to report it immediately. Otherwise, it’s a violation.
Quin said:
Yeah, schools are mandatory reporters. They have to contact either police or CPS right away. It’s the law in all states.
Also, not reporting can get them in big trouble legally, like fines or jail.
In California, they have 36 hours to file a written report after knowing about abuse. Delays aren’t OK.
Wylie said:
In California, they have 36 hours to file a written report after knowing about abuse. Delays aren’t OK.
Wait, what’s the 36 hours thing? Is that just for California?
Wylie said:
In California, they have 36 hours to file a written report after knowing about abuse. Delays aren’t OK.
Yeah, it’s a specific rule in CA. But they still have to notify authorities ASAP first.
If the school’s investigating without involving police/CPS, that can mess up the real investigation.
Brady said:
If the school’s investigating without involving police/CPS, that can mess up the real investigation.
How would it mess it up? Like, wouldn’t more info help?
Brady said:
If the school’s investigating without involving police/CPS, that can mess up the real investigation.
Nah, schools aren’t trained for forensic interviews, so they could accidentally mess with evidence.
You can ask for copies of reports the school made. They might try to hide behind FERPA, though.
Maxwell said:
You can ask for copies of reports the school made. They might try to hide behind FERPA, though.
FERPA? What’s that?
Maxwell said:
You can ask for copies of reports the school made. They might try to hide behind FERPA, though.
It’s a law about student records privacy. Schools sometimes use it to avoid sharing info with parents.
Maxwell said:
You can ask for copies of reports the school made. They might try to hide behind FERPA, though.
But mandatory reporting laws override FERPA in abuse cases, so don’t let them dodge you.
If you’re unsure, call police or CPS yourself. They’ll confirm if the school already reported it.
Sam said:
If you’re unsure, call police or CPS yourself. They’ll confirm if the school already reported it.
Good tip. You can’t rely on schools to always do it right.