Sports coaches to be mandated child abuse reporters

To bolster the reporting of child abuse, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed legislation into law on Aug. 6 that makes school sports coaches mandated reporters. The new law will take effect on July 1, 2015.
The bill will also require coaches who currently hold or are in the application process for a temporary coaching license to complete two hours of training that would involve the identification and reporting of child abuse and neglectful treatment.
“This legislation is another step forward in New York’s fight against child abuse,” Cuomo said. “With the proper training, and the clear mandate to report suspected instances of abuse, school coaches will play a crucial role in keeping our children safe and out of harm’s way.”
Prior to this measure, it wasn’t definitive that individuals in a coaching role for school districts in the state were required to report any suspected abuse or neglect. Now they will be considered mandated reporters, along with their teacher colleagues and athletic directors. All mandated reporters, including coaches, would not be held liable from reporting abuse or neglect cases that go unproven.
Most coaches already have the training and, as a result, have already been mandated reporters for some time, said Lawrence School District Athletic Director Pat Pizzarelli. “In my district, the majority of our coaches are also teachers, so they’ve had to meet this reporting requirement to become fully certified for their positions,” he said. “Overall, things in our district, in regards to this new legislation, may not change much. For the non-teacher coaches, of course this would be a big change for them individually, but not as a school district overall.”