Three bills awaiting action by Gov. Gary Locke of Washington aim to curb sexual misconduct involving school employees and students.
Senate Bill 5533 would require school districts to keep records of investigations that substantiated sexual misconduct by school employees with students. Districts would need to share those records with other districts that considered those employees for jobs. Districts would be forbidden to enter into agreements with employees to keep private the results of such investigations.
SB 6171 would require the state department of public instruction to complete investigations of sexual misconduct within one year.
SB 6220 would require school employees who suspected a colleague who was engaged in sexual misconduct with a student to report those suspicions to an administrator. It also would mandate that employees receive training on those reporting obligations in state certification programs and every three years after being hired.
SOURCE: Education Week reporting.
