Chicago, IL (RDL) – A sexual assault involving schoolchildren in a small central Illinois community pushed an Illinois politician to act.
State Sen. Steve McClure, R-Springfield, said he was stunned to learn that the kid who perpetrated the sexual assault was permitted to remain in class.
“If a student brings a pair of brass knuckles to class, they are automatically expelled for a year,” McClure added. “But if you sexually assault a student at school, there is no automatic expulsion for a year.”
McClure proposed legislation that would mandate school districts to remove a student for at least one year for sexual assault or violence. He stated that many people contacted him after he proposed the proposal.
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“Members of the community, but also members of the General Assembly, and I’m finding that many people are concerned that there are instances taking place where schools are not reporting to the parents what’s happening and in fact they are trying to sweep it under the rug in some cases, which is very troubling,” according to McClure.
State Representative CD Davidsmeyer, R-Jacksonville, said he has received accounts of similar situations in Illinois.
“As a father of a freshman and a 7th grader, I want to make sure this does not happen to anyone else, and that there is proper guidance on what happens should this happen again,” says Davidsmeyer.
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Democratic lawmakers in Illinois have a long history of opposing legislation deemed a “penalty enhancement.” McClure stated that the law is not a punitive enhancement, but rather a safety enhancement, and that he hopes the offending student will attend an alternate learning center and receive the necessary treatment to put them on a better path.
“Right now, because of several laws that have passed in this state, teachers are afraid to punish students or treat them any differently even when they do horrific things, and so, this is a step in the right direction,” according to McClure.
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