A proposed law making it harder for coaches, teachers, school superintendents and others to get away with sexually abusing students is one vote away from approval by the state senate. St. Louis Senator Jane Cunningham says the legislature has talked about this issue for five years while school children continue to suffer at the hands of adults. She says Missouri has been ranked as the 11th worst state in the nation for sexual misconduct by educators.                     Â
Before this week is out, the senate could send her bill to the House. It sets up new reporting and investigation procedures. Cunningham hopes it also stops an alarming practice referred to by the state education department as “Pass the Trash”—-a practice by school districts to let people accused of sexual misconduct with students go away quietly so they can go on to other districts and often repeat their behavior.Â
Added to the bill is a provision asking the state education department to develop age-appropriate courses teaching children about child abuse and what to do it it happens to them,
The bill is SB54.
Listen to the debate 10:17 mp3
