Volunteer nursery worker arrested...

...for failing to report an allegation of abuse at church in a timely manner.

It hasn't happened yet but surely will one of these days here in Georgia because our state has expanded the list of mandatory reporters. This article explains the law and says:

Volunteers at churches, colleges, clubs, summer camps or soccer fields or parents who chaperone a field trip could go to jail if they fail to report suspected abuse under the new provision approved by lawmakers last week.

Consider the recent case of a local high school principal, a position that has been a mandatory reporter of abuse for quite some time. After an underage girl told her school counselor of inappropriate behavior by a teacher, the counselor reported to the principal, who promptly called the school system HR director. It took several days of missed phone calls before the principal finally reported the alleged abuse.

The principal was subsequently arrested, charged with a misdemeanor, and retired. Her photograph, a mug shot, found its way to the local newspaper and online side-by-side with the teacher charged with felony child abuse.

If a school principal was not clear on the law consider the knowledge level of our typical church nursery, vacation Bible school, or other volunteer church worker, including the occasional chaperone for a children's day trip. Such folks may find themselves charged with a crime.

School systems have mandatory training for their employees. Hierarchical churches (check this article on the Episcopal church) do the same.

Southern Baptists?

State convention folks talk about it and hope churches and pastors pay attention. Our state paper, The Christian Index, has a brief article about the new law but it is unavailable without a subscription.


Picture one of your children's workers in 'Bad and Busted' for failing to report in a timely manner. Better yet, pastor, picture your face in 'Bad and Busted.'

Better get in gear on this one.

Your volunteer nursery worker may get arrested...

...for failing to report suspected child abuse, if you are at a church here in Georgia.

State laws at the present here in Georgia require doctors, teachers, and certain other professionals to report suspected child abuse. Failure by these mandatory reporters is a serious crime.

Volunteer church workers like children or preschool Sunday School teachers, nursery workers, and others are not mandatory reporters but will be when new laws go into effect in July.

The state legislature amended present law in this area so broadly that virtually anyone who comes into contact with children will be mandatory reporters when the law goes into effect.

It is unknown exactly what effect this change will have. Some predict a flood of abuse reporting while others think little will change.

If a child in the church nursery has a bruise and the volunteer nursery worker fails to officially report this to law enforcement, will that worker be committing a crime?

Possibly.

As a former pastor, I always did annual training in this area with all volunteers in my church who worked with children. Our state convention has people who will look at this and try and inform the churches what they should do in response to this change in law.

The Atlanta Journal Constitution has a good article on the matter.