Letters: Reporting suspected sex abuse

Re “District slow to report sex allegations,” June 9

Thanks to the Redlands Police Department for noting that officials at Citrus Valley High School waited weeks — much too long — to tell authorities of allegations that one of its teachers was having a sexual relationship with a minor student. In my experience as a school counselor serving three Southern California districts, we correctly understood the law requiring us to report allegations of child abuse and neglect to mean this: “Hear a rumor, pick up the phone and report it. Don’t confer with any other party. Don’t investigate; leave that to law enforcement or a child protection agency.”

In her statement saying that school officials didn’t receive credible information about the alleged abuse until July 1, Redlands Unified Supt. Lori Rhodes indicates a misunderstanding of the law. The information in a suspected child abuse report need not be credible.

Credibility is a decision to be made only by the investigating agency.

Wendell H. Jones

Ojai

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