TERRIBLE TEXAS College Sex Bill. Staff To Be Charged With Misdemeanor For Not Reporting
A New Texas Law, now requires all college employees to report sexual abuse. Under Senate Bill 212, employees could face criminal charges and lose their jobs if they fail to report incidents of sexual harassment, assault, stalking or dating violence allegedly committed by students or staff.
The penalties for violating SB212 are either a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $4,000, or a Class B misdemeanor, punishable by up to 180 days in jail and a fine of up to $2,000. Senator Joan Huffman, R-Houston, said she wrote the bill to address gaps in the reporting process at some universities.
Some have voiced concerns regarding the new law. “The law could lead to situations where the penalty for failing to report sexual abuse is bigger than the penalty for those who violate sexual abuse policies but were not charged with a crime,” said Eve Shatteen Bell, director of Title IX compliance at the University of North Texas. The law comes after a 2016 independent investigation of Baylor University determined football staff did not report claims of sexual assault by players to administrators.
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