STUDENT ABUSE
It is now against the law in Ohio (O.R.C. Sec. 2921.22) to not report any suspected case of child abuse. Unfortunately, there is no predictor to assist school personnel in weeding out false reports and malicious rumors from verifiable complaints. There are, however, some things we can use to guide us:
1. An in-school investigation is clearly warranted when a school employee is accused of some illegal conduct; however, reporting should not be delayed if it appears that there is any possibility that the charges are true.
2. Do not assume that the person who has reported the alleged misconduct to you does not want you to take action. Ask them directly to explain why they are reporting the incident and what they want you to do.
3. Explain that public employees
have a legal duty to report crimes to the appropriate authorities, and that
you will do so.