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Last updated on Wednesday, August 9, 2017
(UNDATED) - Indiana school employees are now required to report suspected child abuse or neglect directly to the Department of Child Services or local law enforcement instead of first notifying a school administrator.
Republican State Sen. Mark Messmer of Jasper co-authored the legislation. He tells the Tribune Star that the change was made because there's been a history of issues being swept under the rug and not reported.
The law says schools can't create a policy that would restrict or delay an employee from reporting suspected abuse in any way.
Prior to the law, school employees first had to report suspected abuse to the school's principal or the principal's designee.
The law also requires schools to start providing age-appropriate child abuse education to children in kindergarten through 12th grade.
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