Blount County commissioners ask state to review child-safety laws, add penalties for cover-ups

A majority of the Blount County Board of Commissioners voted Thursday to ask the Tennessee General Assembly to review state criminal statutes and school reporting requirements related to offenses against children, and to consider stronger penalties for people who knowingly cover up or fail to report such abuse.

The commission adopted Resolution No. 2505014, which asks legislators to (1) create a separate offense for ‘‘offensive or provocative physical contact with a minor,’’ (2) require automatic revocation of a teaching license upon conviction or guilty plea for that offense, (3) add the offense to the list of crimes ineligible for diversion under TCA 40-35-313, (4) require local school systems to collect and report data on these complaints to state authorities, and (5) require that a resignation or separation occurring while an employee is under investigation be reported to the Department of Education and included in personnel records accessible to future districts. Commissioners amended that resolution on the floor to add a sixth clause asking the legislature to increase penalties for persons who knowingly conceal or fail to report abuse involving children in the schools.

Why it matters: Commissioners and multiple public speakers tied the measure to a recent local teacher misconduct case and said gaps in state law and in reporting procedures allow offenders to move between school systems. The resolution directs county leaders to press the state to close those gaps rather than…