What is the maximum penalty for failing to report suspected child abuse?

• A. A felony.
• B. A civil penalty.
• C. No penalty.
• D. A misdemeanor punishable by up to six months imprisonment or a fine up to $1,000.

Answer: (C)

Understanding how penalties are defined in school policies versus state law helps here. LAUSD’s reporting procedures require staff to report suspected child abuse to the proper authorities, but the policy itself does not assign a district-level criminal or civil penalty for failing to report. In the context of the district’s own rules, there isn’t a designated penalty, so the maximum penalty within that framework is effectively none. It’s important to note that California state law does impose penalties on mandated reporters who knowingly fail to report, but those penalties are defined by statutes outside the district’s internal procedures. The other options describe state-level penalties, which aren’t described as penalties within the LAUSD policy context, so they aren’t the answer here.