In the wake of the child sexual abuse scandal at Penn State the cost legendary football coachJoe Paterno his job, a Virginia legislator has filed two bills that add to the list of mandated reporters in the case of child abuse or neglect.
In HB3 and HB4 Del. Robert G. Marshall, R-Manassas, proposes adding coaches and athletic directors working at colleges or universities or for private sports organizations to be required to report any suspected abuse or neglect to their local Department of Social Services.
If passed these coaches and athletic directors would be added to a long list of professionals who are considered mandated reporters by the state, including doctors, nurses, K-12 teachers and coaches, probation officers and day care workers.
The controversy at Penn State centered around former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky and allegations he sexually abused at least eight young boys who took part in his Second Mile charity program.
In 2002, a graduate student who is now an assistant football coach at Penn State reportedly saw Sandusky molesting a child in the team's locker room shower. From their the questions have swirled over who told who what and when, and ultimately why weren't the proper law enforcement authorities brought into the loop.
Sandusky was indicted on child sexual abuse charges by a grand jury in Pennsylvania earlier this month.
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