Under a new policy instituted on Thursday, all Penn State employees will be required to report suspected child abuse to state authorities, as well complete an annual training. Current Pennsylvania law only requires select people to report suspected abuse. Failure to report abuse will result in disciplinary action or possible dismissal.
The university is also in the process of developing an online training program, which will be offered to all employees beginning this fall. Approximately 1,900 employees have already completed in-person training.
The new policy is one of many changes made by the university as it strives to become an academic and research leader in the protection of children. Separate policies are also being developed to address special situations regarding employee interactions with minors, such as medical students or practitioners or legal students or faculty representing minors in legal situations.
