“Should I report a threat made by a student to their classmate’s parent to the school as a mandatory reporter?”
#mandatoryreporter #schoolthreat #parentalinvolvement #childsafety
### Context:
– Kindergarten student received a threat from a classmate
– Parents of the child making the threat denied owning a gun
– Mandatory reporter at work, not affiliated with the school
### Concerns:
1. **Compliance**: Obligations as a mandatory reporter
2. **Safety**: Ensuring the wellbeing of all students
3. **Communication**: Effective interaction with parents and school officials
### Question:
As a mandatory reporter, are there legal obligations to report a threat made by a student to their classmate’s parent to the school, even after discussing the issue with the involved parents?
## Any advice or insights on this matter are greatly appreciated!
You need to tell us what state you’re in, as mandatory reporter laws vary by state. The fact that the threat was directed against your son and the girl didn’t make any allegation that she was abused or otherwise in danger would probably change things. But, without knowing your state, hard to tell.
“My dad is going to come beat you up” is typically not a threat that gets reported.
in florida if you are a mandated reporter that means you have to report to the state any threat made against an identifiable potential victim. it is the states job to determine if they will pursue it, not yours or the schools (although I would also report it to the school). that dad could be on drugs or have some serious mental health issues. mandates are just that. you HAVE to report
NAL but a nurse. Typically (your state could be different) if you’re off the clock and not dealing with anything work related (like a patient, student etc) then no you’re not required to report. Usually mandate reporting is when you’re working in that position that requires you to report.
NAL but used to be a mandated reporter. Call up your reporting bureau and ask whether or not it’s reportable – they should have a hotline of some kind. They’re glad to tell you, and (at least for the population I used to work with, disabled adults, although YMMV) they wouldn’t bother to take your info or really do anything unless they were pretty certain it’s reportable because they don’t usually want to waste their time with frivolity.
edit: just saw you don’t even work for the school. unless you work in education too I don’t think your kid’s school would be covered by your mandate as they are generally field-specific in most cases. check anyway to CYA but it’s probably fine.