A student on his way to school walks past a Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) school. A new report criticizes L.A. Unified for mishandling child abuse cases. Credit: ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images
A state audit released this morning evaluates the way school districts handle child abuse. The report highlights several concerns about LAUSD practices, it says that L.A. Unified frequently fails to follow state law in reporting procedures, and that their handling of child abuse in schools has often been slow and sub-par.
The report draws specific attention to money problems that may contribute to the mishandling of these cases – it is often faster and less costly to settle with an accused employee than to dismiss them. The report recommends that LAUSD follow state procedures for timely reporting, and that they institute stricter monitoring of alleged misconduct, including provisions to prevent an employee who was dismissed after report of a transgression from being hired in another school district.
How should LAUSD handle alleged misconduct by their employees? Do the results of the state audit concern you?
Guest:
Tami Abdollah, KPCC education reporter