Senator Wayne G. Fontana, together with 30 co-sponsors, has introduced Senate Bill 1243, which would ensure greater protections for children in Pennsylvania who are victims of abuse by school employees. And the Disability Rights Network (DRN), strongly in favor of the bill, is surveying families and advocates for children abused by a school employee about their experiences.  Please take a moment to complete this survey.

If passed, this legislation would ensure Child Protective Services investigate reported abuse of students, defined to include ANY ACT OR FAILURE TO ACT THAT RESULTS IN NON-ACCIDENTAL SERIOUS PHYSICAL INJURIES THAT CAUSE A CHILD SEVERE PAIN OR SIGNIFICANTLY INTERFERE WITH HIS OR HER ABILITY TO ACCOMPLISH AGE-APPROPRIATE DEVELOPMENTAL AND SOCIAL TASKS.

Current PA law does not require reporting suspected child abuse by a school employee unless it rises to the level of “serious bodily injury,” which is equivalent to the loss of a limb or an organ that stops functioning, sexual abuse, or sexual exploitation.

ChildLine does not have responsibility for referral or initial investigation of those cases; rather it is local law enforcement that investigates. And the process differs entirely from that for any other caretaker who is suspected of child abuse.

The bill would delete the specific subsection that applies only to school employees and instead, include school employees in the general provisions of the Child Protective Services Law to ensure that all suspected cases of child abuse by persons responsible for a child’s welfare are treated the same.

MHAPA, DRN, and The Arc of PA strongly support Senate Bill 1243 and seek family and advocate input. If your child or a child for whom you’ve advocated has been the victim of abuse by a school employee, please take a few moments to answer the questions in this survey.

We appreciate your willingness to share your experience. Complete the survey here.