Reply to School requirements re: sexual assault in preschool

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]OP, How are you doing and what did you decide?[/quote]

OP here.  We had another meeting with the school. This one went better but one of the lead administrators still does not believe anything happened. I am baffled by that they think we would be wasting our time (or theirs) if we were not absolutely certain that something happened. I am flabbergasted that it is 2020 and people's knee-jerk reaction to a report of sexual assault is total and utter disbelief. I am frightened but also don't know what to do in the middle of the school year.  I'm calling around the privates to see if there are any mid-year openings but no luck so far.

The school said they are committed to training their teachers/staff. I hope that is true.

They still won't commit to moving our daughter to another classroom, and we are not sending her back to school unless they do. We're at a stalemate. 
[/quote]

The job of a mandated reporter is not to determine whether or not an allegation is true. The job of a mandated reporter is to report what was alleged to the appropriate authority (in this case, DC Child Protective Services) and allow them to investigate the allegation.

That your child's school has taken it upon themselves to say that this does not warrant investigation (which is what they are saying by refusing to report it) indicates to me that they do not know their obligations as mandated reporters. Please call CPS yourself - (202) 671-7233. When you do, please name the exact administrators who did not report it, the teacher who did not report it, and any other school staff to whom you or your child made a report who have not reported it to CPS.

Here are some FAQs it sounds like your school might find useful, from CPS itself (emphasis mine):

Q: Have I fulfilled my obligation as a mandated reporter if I tell my supervisor about
my suspicions of child abuse or neglect?
 
A: No. [b][i]It is your individual responsibility to report to the hotline.[/b][/i] Telling your
supervisor or anyone else does not fulfill your legal obligation. You may want to ask
your supervisor make the hotline call with you, especially if you both have first?hand
information about the child.
 
Q: Does my supervisor have authority to decide whether I call the hotline?
 
A:[b] [i]Although every organization has its own internal policies on reporting child
abuse/neglect, District law states that under no circumstances shall any person in
charge of an institution control, restrain, or modify a child abuse/neglect report.[/i][/b][/quote]

+1
I am the PP social worker.  This is precisely it.  The onus is on the mandated reporter to make the report of suspected abuse or neglect.  The reporter does not have to determine if it actually happened, they have to report the suspicion.  It is up to CPS to investigate and determine what happened, along with the expert help of other appropriate agencies.  [/quote]

I am the PP who posted the CPS phone number and FAQ. I'm also a social worker. I have worked in schools. I also used to work for CPS. I am, quite frankly, appalled at this situation since in addition to all that, I have kids within the DC school system. There is absolutely no legal or ethical justification for the school's behavior. Even if they were CERTAIN your child was lying, they have an obligation to report it.[/quote]

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