Governor, legislators praised on abuse-reporting legislation

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has signed a bill that requires non-public school administrators to report suspected cases of child abuse to law enforcement. The New York State Catholic Conference and the diocesan Catholic School Office praised the governor and lawmakers for the new legislation, which followed a series of high-profile scandals involving cover-ups at exclusive independent private schools in various parts of the state.

The bill, sponsored by State Sen. Patrick Gallivan (R-Elma) and Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan (D-Long Island City), passed unanimously in both houses of the state legislature in the 2018 legislative session, and was delivered to the governor on Nov. 26. It expands an existing law requiring public school superintendents to report abuse. Cuomo signed the bill Dec. 7.

“This legislation is a no-brainer and a critical tool in protecting children. We are grateful to the sponsors and the governor that reporting of such abuse will now be mandated by law,” said Dennis Poust, director of communications for the Catholic Conference, which represents the New York State Bishops in public policy matters. 

Mr. Poust noted that while Catholic schools, like all Church entities, already report all child abuse cases to law enforcement, the scandals in secular private schools in recent years “have demonstrated why there never should have been such an exemption in law in the first place.”

Giovanni Virgiglio, superintendent of schools and chancellor for the Albany Diocese, added, “In accordance with the Bishops’ Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, it has been and will continue to be our practice to report any and all forms of child abuse to the proper authorities, regardless of the setting.

“In our school communities, the emphasis is always on providing a learning environment where students feel safe and protected,” Mr. Virgiglio said. “This legislation only affirms our existing practices and procedures in handling such matters.”

In addition to adding non-public school administrators, the new law also extends the reporting mandate to New York City public schools, which previously had been exempted from the law, as well as charter schools, special schools for children with disabilities (called 853 Programs), and others.

It also requires teachers, administrators and school bus drivers in non-public schools to complete two hours of coursework or training regarding the identification and reporting of child abuse and maltreatment. 

“The Bishops of New York State hope that the tragic abuse crisis in the Church’s recent past can serve as a cautionary tale for all organizations that deal with children, including public and private schools,” Mr. Poust said. “And we further hope that the reforms we’ve implemented since 2002 can likewise serve as a model for best practices in how to protect children from abuse. We think this newly signed law is a step in that direction.”