RHODE ISLAND
Rhode Island Public Radio
[with audio]
By ELISABETH HARRISON
In the aftermath of the sex abuse scandal at St. George’s School, Rhode Island lawmakers are considering legislation that would close a loophole in the state’s mandatory child abuse reporting law.
The loophole, first reported by Rhode Island Public Radio, seems to allow schools and other institutions to avoid reporting abuse allegations against their employees.
Peg Langhammer pulls up a chair in a conference room at Day One, the organization she runs for survivors of sexual abuse. She is driving an amendment to Rhode Island’s mandatory child abuse and neglect reporting law to make it clear that schools must report employees suspected of abusing students to the State Department of Children Youth and Families, or DCYF.
“This really came to light as a result of all of the St. George’s cases,” said Langhammer. “When St. George’s interpretation of the statute was that they didn’t have to report to DCYF, and therefore there was no investigation after many cases of alleged abuse.”
Those cases include a former athletic director, a choir director and a chaplain, all at the Episcopal St. George’s boarding school. And while the school fired some of the employees, they never reported them to child welfare officials.
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