Office of the City Clerk - Record #: R2018-678

• Record #: R2018-678
• Type: Resolution
• Status: Failed to Pass
• Intro date: 6/27/2018
• Current Controlling Legislative Body: Committee on Education and Child Development
• Title: Call for hearing(s) to address complaints of sexual abuse and safety of children in Chicago Public Schools and violations of state and/or federal mandated reporting requirements
• Sponsors: Sadlowski Garza, Susan, Waguespack, Scott, Pawar, Ameya, Cardenas, George A., Solis, Daniel, Taliaferro, Chris, Reilly, Brendan, Arena, John, Lopez, Raymond A., Mell, Deborah, Foulkes, Toni, Munoz, Ricardo, Moore, David H., Mitts, Emma, Hairston, Leslie A., Beale, Anthony, Sawyer, Roderick T., Moreno, Proco Joe, Hopkins, Brian , Maldonado, Roberto, Dowell, Pat, Burnett, Jr., Walter, King, Sophia D., Ervin, Jason C., Scott, Jr. Michael, Reboyras, Ariel, Santiago, Milagros, Villegas, Gilbert, Sposato, Nicholas, Austin, Carrie M., Smith, Michele, Ramirez-Rosa, Carlos, Silverstein, Debra L., Quinn, Marty, Napolitano, Anthony V., Harris, Michelle A., Tunney, Thomas, Moore, Joseph, Burke, Edward M.
• Topic: COMMITTEE/PUBLIC HEARINGS - Committee on Education and Child Development
• Related files: R2019-362

Date	Journal Page Number	Action By	Action	Result
5/29/2019		City Council	Failed to Pass
11/28/2018		Committee on Education and Child Development	Held in Committee
6/27/2018	81272	City Council	Referred

safety of children in Chicago Public Schools Committee on Education and Child Development
Committee on Education and Child Development
June 27, 2018 City Council Meeting

RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Chicago Public Schools and its employees are mandated reporters of suspected or alleged child abuse, including sexual abuse, under both state and federal law; and

WHEREAS, the Illinois Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act (ANCRA), 325 ILCS 5, mandates that "...school personnel (including administrators and both certified and non-certified school employees)...educational advocate assigned to a child pursuant to the School Code, member of a school board or the Chicago Board of Education" must immediately report any instance where there is reason to believe that a child known to them may be a victim of abuse; and,

WHEREAS, failure of a mandated reporter to comply with ANCRA is a Class A Misdemeanor; and,

WHEREAS, despite these legal responsibilities and mandates, recent reports highlight the repeated and egregious failures of teachers and principals to fulfill their legal obligation to alert child welfare investigators or police of the claims; and

WHEREAS, specifically, the Chicago Tribune investigation found that police investigated 523 reports of rape or sexual abuse at city schools over a period of a decade and that CPS failed to protect abused students in more than 100 cases; and

WHEREAS, allegations and charges have been leveled against a wide array of CPS employees; and

WHEREAS, reports further outline investigation and interviewing protocol that further traumatized children attempting to report abuse; and

WHEREAS, conflicts of interest contrary to the best practices and findings of child welfare experts abound under current protocol wherein CPS district attorneys handle both investigations into claims of sexual abuse based in the school, as well as defend the school district in any lawsuits arising therefrom; and

WHEREAS, it is also reported that CPS' central of...