Mary Jo McGrath, a child sexual abuse expert witness says California legislators should have the courage to hold school districts and other public agencies accountable for the actions of their employees by passing SB 1339. The expert witness is former chair of the U.S. Department of Education’s Expert Panel on Safe and Drug-Free Schools and author of extensive training programs for school districts to raise awareness of sexual misconduct in schools, and to teach them proper complaint intake and investigation techniques. PR.com writes:
The bill under consideration extends the statute of limitations on the California Tort Claims Act relative to sexual abuse of students until the victim’s 26th birthday. Currently, the act requires a lawsuit to be filed within six months of the precipitating event. The amendment, proposed by Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto, and passed by the judiciary committee, extends to public school students the same access to legal redress currently given to students in private schools, and importantly, gives school districts a reason to vigilantly protect students from such abuse, McGrath says.