In Florida a teacher can be fired for not reporting abuse to the proper authorities.

[madfloridian]

I see a lot of defense here of those who knew about child abuse and did not report it.

Many of us were required to report it through the years. It was never pleasant, and often there were personal attacks from those we had to report.

I don't know about other states, and I assume this has not changed here. Teachers take this very seriously. The "proper authorities" may not take it so seriously, but teachers must do so.

From the FL DOE website:

"Document and report it. Document your conversation as soon as you can. If possible, write down the child’s exact words.

Don’t delay. Never assume someone else will report the abuse. The sooner it’s reported, the sooner the child and their family can be helped.

WHO MUST REPORT ABUSE?

Doctors
Nurses
Social Workers
Police Officers
Child Care Workers
Any Witnesses
Any/All School Personnel

Call or Report it online at: http://www.dcf.state.fl.us/abuse/report/
http://www.fldoe.org/edstandards/pdfs/mandatoryabusereport08.pdf

[WinkyDink]

1. It's PA law, too. I know; I am retired from the system.

[dkf]

2. Report to who? Straight to the police?

Aren't you supposed to go up the chain of command?

[Jackpine Radical]

3. I have run into a number of situations over the years

that caused me to report possible child abuse to the authorities, or caused me to direct people acting under my supervision to do the same. Here, the "proper authorities" tend to be County Human Services people. What generally seems to happen is that if enough reports stack up on a given situation, they will perform some sort of investigation that may or may not involve the police.

[madfloridian]

6. I think the law is a good one in this day of politically correct school leadership.

That one call my principal was mad that I made...was a very good call. She was so fearful of her job, she worried that the parents had too much influence.

But under the law the call was made, and she had to accept it. That is a law that makes it easier on the teachers actually. It takes the political game-playing out of their hands. The parents heard over and over that I was following the law, and they soon accepted it and accepted they desperately needed help.

[madfloridian]

4. In Florida you are not to go through a principal or anyone.....call the abuse hotline.

We were not allowed to talk to our principals or any other person in authority at the school.

Once a principal was critical when a family was reported that was very active at the school, very important people. Since it turned out to be a good call in spite of all the attacks on me, she later apologized and said the rule was there for a reason.

The parents later called a meeting with me and their counselor and gave me a hug.

[Bozita]

5. Very similar laws in Michigan

I hesitate to say identical, but the idea is the same.