(1) Does the state require everyone to report child abuse, including sex abuse? No.
(2) Does the law require coaches to report child abuse? No; coaches are not explicitly listed as mandatory reporters. That said, if a coach is also a teacher or an employee of a nonprofit, the coach has to report.
(3) Does the law require college staff to report child abuse? Probably, but the law could be much clearer. “Teachers” are required to report abuse, but the definition of “teacher” may be too narrow to include college or university staff. The law also requires someone “who is engaged in performing his or her employment duties with a nonprofit charitable organization other than a nonprofit hospital” to report abuse. That definition arguably covers college or university employees, since most institutions of higher learning are organized under the nonprofit charitable section of the federal Internal Revenue Code.
(4) Does the law allow jail time for those who fail to properly report abuse? Yes; the punishment is either a Class A Misdemeanor for a knowing failure to report or a Class C Misdemeanor for a reckless failure to report. A Class A Misdemeanor is punishable by up to a year in jail and up to a $2,500 fine. A Class C Misdemeanor is punishable by up to 30 days in jail and up to a $500 fine.
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