Skip To Content
Free consultation Text or call 312.553.4900

Penn State Abuse Scandal Shows that Institutions Can’t Police Themselves

January 2, 2014  ·  By HM&M

TAGS:

The Penn State sexual abuse scandal reminds us that state and federal laws may mandate that a teacher or coach, such as Coach Paterno and the assitant coaches and administrators at Penn State, has a duty to report suspected sexual abuse of children to the police. As discussed in a recent Chicago Tribune article:

Illinois law features a long list of people who must notify the Department of Children and Family Services if they suspect that a child has been abused or neglected, including doctors, coroners, social workers, police officers, foster parents and members of the clergy.

The law also specifies “school personnel” as mandated reporters, and DCFS spokesman Jimmie Whitelow said Thursday that the department interprets that to include employees of colleges and universities.

Institutions that deal with children, such as schools and churches, may be liable in civil suits if they fail to fulfill a duty to report sexual abuse of children. If you have encountered a situation where a school, church or other institution has failed to report abuse, or covered it up, contact us.

January 2, 2014

Jury Awards $4,700,000 for Death in Emergency Room

CHICAGO DAILY LAW BULLETIN, DECEMBER 4, 2013 A Chicago jury has awarded $4.7 million to the family of a 49 year old woman who died at St. James Hospital in suburban Chicago after she suffered a severe asthma attack. The case alleged emergency room errors and wrongful death in a 2 week-long medical malpractice trial.... Read More

January 2, 2014

Lawyer Represents Chicagoans Injured By Medical Devices

Medical devices, machines, and other products injure and kill thousands each year. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration maintains a list of recalled medical devices. In addition to those products on this list, though, there are many different products that are dangerous or worn-out that kill and injure people in healthcare settings. The experienced attorneys... Read More

We don't support Internet Explorer

Please use Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or Edge to view this site.