Georgia makes parent volunteers in schools mandatory child abuse reporters. Is that a mistake? | Get Schooled

Georgia makes parent volunteers in schools mandatory child abuse reporters. Is that a mistake? | Get Schooled:

Georgia makes parent volunteers in schools mandatory child abuse reporters. Is that a mistake?

by Maureen Downey

Schools are informing parents of a law passed this year that broadens the list of people mandated to report child abuse to include volunteers at churches, colleges, clubs, summer camps or soccer fields or parents who chaperone a field trip. They could go to jail if they fail to report suspected abuse.
A Fulton parent sent me a copy of a letter she wrote to her legislator expressing  concerns about the law. A short excerpt is below. I asked the Fulton school system to explain this new policy, and the response is also here.
Like other systems, Fulton is following a state directive to notify all school volunteers that they must report any