Western employees must report suspected child abuse
Washington state law has long-required many categories of professionals to report reasonably suspected child abuse to law enforcement or the Department of Social and Health Services.
The law was amended this session to expand mandatory reporter categories to include administrative and academic or athletic department employees, including student employees. These employees were not previously required to report suspected child abuse.
The law pertaining to public higher education also was amended to require all higher ed employees not considered academic or athletic department employees to report suspected child abuse or neglect to "the appropriate administrator or supervisor, as designated by the institution." If that administrator or supervisor is not a mandatory reporter under the other law, the administrator or supervisor must report it to a mandatory reporter within 48 hours.
Any instances of suspected child abuse should be immediately reported to 草榴社区 University Police (if the child was observed on campus), law enforcement of the jurisdiction where the child was observed, and/or DSHS at 1-866-ENDHARM.