I just wanted to follow up on my previous post and point out that OPS has decided not to change its policy regarding the reporting of potential child abuse to law enforcement, the same policy which led to Shane Knutsen being allowed back on the job after three allegations of child abuse in three consecutive years. According to Attorney Elizabeth Eynon-Kokrda, OPS policy is that “if there is any reasonable belief [that child abuse has occurred], staff are to report it, or cause it to be reported, to law enforcement or Child Protective Services.” That does seem like the appropriate policy to me. That being said, if Shane Knutsen is found guilty of sexual assault stemming from the first two cases that administrators were aware of before law enforcement became involved, it will be difficult for me to believe that the standard of “reasonable belief” was not met when those allegations against Knutsen were initially brought forward by the students to the administrators. At that point I will have to assume that administrators ignored OPS policy and Nebraska law in failing to report the allegations of child abuse to authorities. If that is the case they should be fired and charges should be filed against them. Needless to say I will be keeping a close eye on Knutsen’s trial, as should the higher-ups at OPS and the Attorney General’s office.
No comments:
Post a Comment