...Alvaro calls lack of training for students “a major loophole” in preventing child sexual abuse. “This would be analogous to never holding active shooter drills with kids. It’s our job as adults to prevent sexual abuse. But you have to tell kids what to do if it happens. It’s just like putting seat belts on or fire drills.” https://chicagounheard.org/blog/experts-weigh-in-on-efforts-to-protect-cps-students-from-sexual-abuse/
...In the wake of a scathing Chicago Tribune report detailing how systemic failures within Chicago Public Schools allowed hundreds of students to be sexually abused over the past decade, parents and advocates have begun to question why Erin’s Law isn’t being discussed as part of a solution. Already, vague requirements and lax oversight from the state has led to some Chicago schools not following through with the law at all.
CPS CEO Janice Jackson released a four-page plan of action after the Tribune series was published last week detailing plans to strengthen internal policies and practices in an effort to prevent this sort of abuse from happening again. It made no mention of Erin’s Law.
“I was disappointed she didn’t reference this law in this action plan at all, since it is a state law,” said Char Rivette, executive director of the Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center.
“Where are the preventive measures?” Chicago Teachers Union member Emily Penn asked in a statement this week. “CPS, for example, has made no mention of Erin’s Law, which mandates that schools teach body safety awareness and give children tools to report abuse in a safe way, as well as staff training to respond to concerns and report appropriately.”
In 2016, the Maryland General Assembly passed House Bill 72, Erin's Law.
Erin's Law required:
Maryland schools to implement an “age-appropriate” sexual assault and abuse awareness and prevention program for grades K-12.Capital News Service, 2/4/2016
As passed, House Bill 72 states:
(B) (1) THE STATE BOARD AND EACH NONPUBLIC SCHOOL IN THE STATE
SHALL DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A PROGRAM OF AGE–APPROPRIATE EDUCATION
ON THE AWARENESS AND PREVENTION OF SEXUAL ABUSE AND ASSAULT.
(2) THE PROGRAM REQUIRED UNDER PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION SHALL BE:
(I) TAUGHT BY A TEACHER WHO IS TRAINED TO PROVIDE
INSTRUCTION ON THE AWARENESS AND PREVENTION OF SEXUAL ABUSE AND
ASSAULT; AND
(II) INCORPORATED INTO THE HEALTH CURRICULUM OF EACH
COUNTY BOARD AND EACH NONPUBLIC SCHOOL. (C) THE STATE BOARD SHALL ADOPT REGULATIONS TO CARRY OUT THE
PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION.
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July
1, 2016.
Approved by the Governor, May 19, 2016.
Yet, as of today, April 18, 2018, the Maryland State Board of Education has not adopted any Regulations to carry out the provisions of the bill.
On March 1, 2018, in a hearing before the Maryland House Ways and Means Committee, Delegate Luedtke mentioned that "it had already been too long since we passed Erin's Law for it to be implemented in the schools" and that he did not want a new bill on sex abuse education to give "a new dictate to MSDE [Maryland State Department of Education] that would then delay further the implementation [of Erin's Law]." Video of this statement is below.
Does the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) and the Maryland State Board of Education have the best interest of children as their goal? Does MSDE and the Maryland State Board of Education follow Maryland law?
A Maryland bill passed to help keep students safe from sexual abuse and assault has not been implemented two years after passage, and the failure to implement that law caused legislators concern this year about passing additional laws to keep children safe.
