Proposed Legislation Would Require Private Schools to Report Abuse

(from WBFO) District and state legislators from the Buffalo, New York, region are calling for immediate changes to two state laws in the wake of sexual abuse revealed at Nichols School. Private schools are not required to report sexual abuse cases the way public schools are, but with an investigation revealing that over several decades 10 Nichols teachers engaged in improper relationships with students, of which some past administrators were aware, legislators are demanding immediate changes to the law.

Passage of the Child Victims Act would do the following:

• Increase the criminal statute of limitations prospectively from the age of 23 to age 28;
• Increase the civil statute of limitations prospectively from the age of 23 to age 50;
• Remove special protections for public institutions that have acted as a shield against liability; and
• Create a one-year look-back window to allow survivors over the age of 23 to seek retrospective civil relief.

More at WBFO

Related content on NetAssets.org

• Leadership's Role in Creating a Culture of Safety
• Nowhere to Hide
• Counter to Our Missions
• A Very Real Threat