Does making a report of suspected child abuse relieve the school of its responsibilities regarding sexual harassment?

• A. Yes, the school is relieved of all responsibilities.
• B. Yes, but only if the agency approves.
• C. Not necessarily, the school can defer action to the agency.
• D. No, the school must still take administrative action to address the alleged sexual harassment.

Answer: (D)

The important idea is that reporting suspected child abuse is a separate obligation from handling sexual harassment at school. When someone reports abuse to the authorities, that triggers external investigation and child welfare protections, but it does not release the school from its own duties to address sexual harassment under its policies and applicable laws.

The best answer recognizes that the school must continue to act. It should promptly investigate the harassment under its policy, implement interim safety measures to protect students, inform and involve appropriate administrators and parents as required, and take disciplinary or remedial action if harassment is found. External agency involvement may inform or coordinate with the school, but it does not excuse the school from taking its own administrative steps. Deferring entirely to the agency or saying the school is relieved of responsibilities is not correct, because the school bears responsibility for maintaining a safe environment and enforcing its harassment policies regardless of external reports.