Reporting Requirement

Every employee of the County School Board of Frederick County, Virginia, who, in his/her professional or official capacity, has reason to suspect that a child is an abused or neglected child, in compliance with the Code of Virginia § 63.2-1509 et seq. shall immediately report the matter to

• the local department of social services where the child resides or where the abuse or neglect is believed to have occurred;
  
  
• to the Virginia Department of Social Services’ toll-free child abuse and neglect hotline; or
  
  
• to the person in charge of the school or department, or his designee, who shall make the report forthwith to the local or state agency. The person making the report to the local or state agency must notify the person making the initial report when the report of suspected abuse or neglect is made to the local or state agency, and of the name of the individual receiving the report, and must forward any communication resulting from the report, including any information about any actions taken regarding the report, to the person who made the initial report.

Notice of Reporting Requirement

The School Board posts in each school a notice that

• any teacher or other person employed there who has reason to suspect that a child is an abused or neglected child, including any child who may be abandoned, is required to report such suspected cases of child abuse or neglect to local or state social services agencies or the person in charge of the relevant school or his designee; and
  
  
• all persons required to report cases of suspected child abuse or neglect are immune from civil or criminal liability or administrative penalty or sanction on account of such reports unless such person has acted in bad faith or with malicious purpose. The notice shall also include the Virginia Department of Social Services' toll-free child abuse and neglect hotline.

Complaints of Abuse and Neglect

The School Board and the local department of social services have adopted a written interagency agreement as a protocol for investigating child abuse and neglect reports, including reports of sexual abuse of a student. The interagency agreement is based on recommended procedures for conducting investigations developed by the Departments of Education and Social Services. The School Board reports substantial modifications of the agreement to the Board of Education.

Legal Reference(s):
Code of Virginia, Section(s) 22.1-253.13:7, 22.1-291.3, 63.2-1509 and 63.2-1511.