Assemblyman Dave McDonough (R,C,I-Merrick) is fighting for legislation, of which he is a co-sponsor, that would require private school administrators to disclose any allegations of child abuse that occur in an educational setting. Assembly Bill 5371 was unanimously reported out of the Assembly Education Committee this week.

As the original author in 2016, McDonough has co-sponsored the current bill and is working with legislative leaders to get it passed before the end of session. McDonough believes there is a good chance of the legislation passing the Assembly this year.

“It takes a lot of courage for an abused child to speak out, especially when the abuser is someone in an educational setting which is supposed to be a safe space,” said McDonough. “We teach our children to always tell the truth and to ask for help when they are unsure of what to do; this is why we must take all accusations seriously. Though sending your child to a private school is a personal choice, that doesn’t mean that child doesn’t deserve the same protection as those who attend public school. I am proud to be an originator of this bill and hope we can move forward to include private schools in the reporting requirements when it comes to child abuse in an educational setting.”