Procedures to follow if knowledge or reasonable cause to suspect child abuse – Completion of child abuse training program – Child abuse coordinator

[Effective Until 7/1/2024] (a) Notwithstanding § 37-5-107 or § 37-1-612, if a school teacher, school official, or other school personnel has knowledge or reasonable cause to suspect that a child who attends the school may be a victim of child abuse or child sexual abuse sufficient to require reporting pursuant to § 37-1-403 or § 37-1-605, then the school teacher, school official, or other school personnel must follow the procedures outlined in subsection (d). Ask a legal question, get an answer ASAP!(b) Each LEA and each public charter school shall ensure that all school officials and employees working directly with students of the respective LEA or public charter school annually complete the child abuse training program required in § 37-1-408. (c) Each LEA and each public charter school shall designate a child abuse coordinator and an alternate child abuse coordinator for each school within the LEA or public charter school. The designation of an alternative child abuse coordinator is not required when only one (1) adult is employed by or responsible for the care of children at a school. The child abuse coordinator and the alternate child abuse coordinator must: (1) Have access to an area providing privacy and access to a telephone for reporting suspected child abuse and child sexual abuse; (2) Receive training in regard to: (A) Mandatory reporting; (B) Multidisciplinary protocols; (C) Advocacy centers; (D) The importance of limited interviews; and (E) Signs, symptoms, or suspicions of child abuse; (3) Be available for school personnel to share information about suspected child abuse and child sexual abuse; (4) Assist school personnel in reporting suspected child abuse and child sexual abuse to law enforcement and to the department of children’s services; (5) Serve as a liaison between the school, the department of children’s services, and law enforcement in child abuse and child sexual abuse investigations; (6) Assist law enforcement and department of children’s services personnel by sharing available information regarding suspected child abuse and child sexual abuse, and by providing a private area within the school for law enforcement and department of children’s services personnel to meet with the child and the reporting school personnel as a group or individually if required; and (7) Maintain confidential files in accordance with §§ 37-5-107 and 37-1-612 regarding all reported suspicions of child abuse and child sexual abuse. (d) (1) (A) If a child voluntarily discloses information about possible abuse to a school teacher, school official, or other school personnel, then the child must be provided a quiet and private place to speak and the person receiving the information must listen openly and speak at the child’s level in a positive, non-judgmental tone. (B) The person receiving the information from the child must: (i) Allow the child to say what happened in the child’s own words; (ii) Avoid conducting an investigation by asking the child detailed questions; (iii) Make every effort to write down the child’s exact words; (iv) Refrain from making any statements to the child about the alleged abuse, the alleged abuser, or the consequences of the child reporting the alleged abuse; and (v) Immediately notify the school child abuse coordinator and report the information to the department of children’s services and law enforcement; provided, however, when the alleged abuse involves someone employed by, previously employed by, or otherwise affiliated with the school, the report may be made directly to the department of children’s services and law enforcement prior to notifying the school child abuse coordinator. This subdivision (d)(1)(B)(v) does not relieve a school teacher, school official, or other school personnel from the duty to report alleged abuse under federal law. (2) School teachers, school officials, and other school personnel should be observant of any bruising, injury, markings, or other unusual behavior that may be the result of child abuse or neglect, and immediately report any suspicions to the school’s child abuse coordinator. Photographs of any bruising, injury, or markings must not be taken by any school child abuse coordinator, teacher, official, or other school personnel. Upon receiving a report of suspicion of child abuse or child sexual abuse, the child abuse coordinator must, along with the reporting school personnel who obtained the information from the child, report any suspected child abuse or child sexual abuse to law enforcement and the department of children’s services. (3) If a third party informs a school teacher, school official, or other school personnel of a reasonable suspicion that a child at the school may be the victim of child abuse or child sexual abuse, then the school teacher, school official, or other school personnel must: (A) Encourage the third party to report the suspicion to the department of children’s services and law enforcement; (B) Notify the school’s ch