Education Commissioner Rita Sablan said the mandatory reporting is not a new policy but an elaboration of the guidelines for teachers this school year.
“We’re just expanding it to make sure there’s mandatory reporting of any suspected child abuse [cases],” she said. “We [want to] make sure the school staff will follow the mandate.”
Teachers and school officials who fail to report or prevent another from reporting a child abuse incident will face one year imprisonment and a $1,000 fine.
These are in addition to any and all disciplinary and administrative penalties that may be consequences of violating the policy.
Any teacher or school official who is intimidated, harassed, threatened and sanctioned for fulfilling his obligation under the policy is encouraged to immediately report to the PSS legal counsel for referral to the Attorney General’s Office for possible criminal investigation.
Sablan said it is the duty of any teacher or school official who knows or has reasonable cause to suspect that a child has been, or will be, the victim of child abuse to report such information to the Department of Public Safety within 24 hours after the teacher or school official is informed about the child abuse incident.
Under CNMI law, child abuse involves a “person purposefully striking, beating or otherwise (by any act or omission) inflicting physical pain, injury or mental distress upon a child under the age of 18 in that person’s custody or over which that person occupies a position of authority, with the result that the child’s physical or mental health and well-being are harmed or threatened.”
