abc27 WHTM

CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. (WHTM) –

Jeffrey Schmutzler, the Chambersburg High School Spanish teacher accused of sexual exploitation of children, is out on $60,000 bond.

Parents of students in the district have expressed concern that the school did not inform them of Schmutzler’s arrest. Many learned of the charges from abc27 news.

Superintendent Dr. Joseph Padasak says the district was informed of Schmutzler’s arrest via fax from the Attorney General’s Office around noon on Thursday. However, they did not receive any additional information.

“They gave us no details,” said Dr. Padasak.

Padasak also said names of any alleged victims have also not been released. The district is working to keep parents better informed and are now posting information on their website (http://www.chambersburg.k12.pa.us/education/components/whatsnew/default.php?sectiondetailid=27917&viewType=detail&id=3155)

This message was posted on the site today.

“The district has no additional information at this time, but will continue to work cooperatively with state and federal investigators … Student safety is and will always be our primary concern. It is critical that students continue to feel school is a safe place full of adults they can trust. Administrators, counselors and additional staff were present in the high school today to reassure students and employees and to address any and all concerns over this matter.”

The school said any student or parent who has a concern regarding this issue, should call Principal Buddy Chapel at 717-261-3329. If you have information you believe may be relevant to this investigation please contact the Chambersburg Area School District Police Chief Paul Weachter at 377-6773.

Schmutzler is accused of taking photos of his students, Photoshopping their faces onto child pornography and distributing them .

Carlisle Attorney Jason Kutulakis works with the group ChildFirst PA, which fights child abuse and protects children’s rights.

“You send your children off to school with anticipation that they will be in a safe environment and here you have the betrayal of that trust,” said Kutulakis.

Kutulakis he says although the charges against Schmutzler do not include physical abuse it doesn’t lessen the pain, especially if the images are on the internet.

“I don’t know of any mechanism whatsoever to recall or delete these images. Unfortunately, they will be in cyber space forever and its tragic. For the duration of life these images will be out there. Hopefully if these allegations are true the punishment is swift and severe,” said Kutulakis.

Schmutzler has been a teacher in the district since 2005. He worked at Northern Middle School first and then moved to the high school.

Courtesy of ABC27

By Kendra Nichols

Last year, State Police say they investigated almost 1,500 child sex abuses in Pennsylvania. For those young victims involved, being interviewed during an investigation can be difficult.

It’s called the Child-First Program. It’s a class for those who deal with children, who are victims of crimes, and how to effectively communicate with them. Investigators and detectives were in a Derry Township classroom on Thursday, to learn how to best communicate with children, who are victims of heinous crimes.

Adams County District Attorney, Shawn Wagner says first responders are important in situations like these. “In child sexual abuse cases the first response is by far the most important one that we need, to see a crime.”

Some officials say child sex abuse crimes aren’t spoken of much. “For whatever reason, society seems to look the other way, want to ignore, or can’t believe these activities are taking place. They’re goal (investigators) is to provide services for healing and justice to the victims and holding the offenders accountable.” Said Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Frank Noonan.

Wagner says helping the child have a normal childhood, is important. “Our ultimate goal is to allow a child to become a child again, when they’re the victim of child abuse.”

State Police, District Attorneys and other officials say this is designed to stregthen investigations and prosecute child abuse.
“Child abuse prosecutions are tough prosecutions, but of the 67 counties in Pennsylvania, only 20 have children advocacy centers, including Dauphin, Lancaster and York Counties.” Dauphin County District Attorney Ed Marsico explained.

Those centers, provide healing for victims and a commonplace between them and doctors, nurses, and police.

Dauphin County Commissioner George Hartwick, III says each county needs to have resources for the children. “There needs to be a dedicated revenue source to find child advocacy centers throughout PA.”

Hartwick says that funding should come from outside of fundraisers.

There is a bill in the house now, that if its passed, it would make those charged with crimes against children pay a fine and that money would go to child advocacy centers.

Reported by: Kyle Rogers
Contributor: Rachel Snody

A hefty share of the NCAA’s $60 million fine against Penn State over the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal should be to pumped into child advocacy centers to help abuse victims, Dauphin County Commissioner George Hartwick III said Thursday.

“There could be no better utilization of those resources,” Hartwick said.

He made that proposal during a program at the Pennsylvania State Police Academy in Derry Township to tout the ChildFirst program.

That program, now a year old in the Keystone State, aims to unite the efforts of police, prosecutors and child welfare advocates to increase the effectiveness of child sexual abuse prosecutions while curbing the damage to the victims.

A main tenet of ChildFirst, which operates in 19 states, is to focus on the needs of the child.

For example, it advocates limiting interviews of abused children to specially-trained interviewers so the youngsters don’t have to repeat their accounts of molestation over and over and there is a reduced risk of their testimony being tainted by intended or inadvertent adult suggestions.

While the Sandusky case and the prosecutions of molestation claims against Catholic Church officials in Philadelphia have drawn public attention of late, many more abuse cases go through the courts unnoticed, State Police Commissioner Frank Noonan said.

The state police handled about 1,500 child sexual abuse cases in the past year, he said.

“How many of these have you heard of? Hardly any,” Noonan said.

“Society wants too look the other way,” he said. “It can’t believe these kinds of things are taking place.”

Thursday’s press conference coincided with a weeklong ChildFirst training program at the academy, one of nine such sessions being held at state police facilities across Pennsylvania this year.

Carlisle attorney Jason Kutulakis, a member of the Governor’s Task Force on Child Abuse, is one of the instructors.

ChildFirst stresses that young abuse victims be questioned by trained interviewers, not well-meaning amateurs, and to have their statements memorialized on a recording, Kutulakis said.

In the past, he said, it was not uncommon for a child to undergo a dozen interviews after reporting abuse. “That’s not child-centered. That’s not child-focused,” said Kutulakis, who is past president of the state Children and Youth Solicitors Association.

“I’ve been doing this for 25 years,” said Adams County District Attorney Shawn Wagner, president of the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association. “In my experience, the system can exacerbate what the child has gone through.”
“In a child sexual abuse case, the first response is the most important one.” – Adams County District Attorney Shawn Wagner

That’s why the cooperative, interagency premise of ChildFirst is vital in rescuing child abuse victims and prosecuting their predators, he said.

“The most important approach we can have in child abuse cases is a collaborative one,” he said. “We must all work together. In a child sexual abuse case, the first response is the most important one.”

Concentrating on that first, pure interview with the victim and minimizing the legal system’s trauma not only gives the child a better chance at recovery, but provides stronger evidence against the molesters, Wagner said.

That approach works, Dauphin County District Attorney Ed Marsico agreed.

“We’re seeing fewer trials in these cases and more guilty pleas, so the children don’t have to go through a trial,” Marsico said.

Child advocacy centers are the best settings for interviewing and helping molested children, he, Wagner, Kutulakis and Hartwick said.

They called for a vast expansion of those centers in the state. Only about one-third of the state’s 67 counties have access to such centers, which are hubs for child-abuse interviews and for services to aid molestation victims.

All counties in the midstate have access to such centers. Adams, York and Lancaster counties have their own centers and the Harrisburg-based Children’s Resource Center operated by PinnacleHealth System serves Dauphin, Cumberland, Perry and Lebanon counties.

Those centers find their funding from a variety of not always stable sources, and Hartwick said Pinnacle actually loses money on its center. He said a government funding stream should be dedicated to support the operations.

“There is no excuse for short-changing children,” he said.

Others have the same idea. Two bills to finance aid for child abuse victims have passed the state House and are bound for the Senate.

One calls for shifting $400,000 left over from the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program to the child advocacy centers. The other proposes to create a fund by imposing a new $15 fee on everyone who pleads guilty to any crime.

Money aside, there should be only one overriding aim, Kutulakis said.

“We as a community must protect our most precious resource,” he said. “It has nothing to do with the natural gas here in Pennsylvania. It’s the children of the commonwealth.”

By Matt Miller | mmiller@pennlive.com

Editor’s Note: This is the first article in a series on divorce. Upcoming topics will include spousal support, child support and custody. The information contained in this column is for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice. You should contact your family attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular issue or problem. If you have a general question about how the law relates to your family, let us know! We cannot respond to specific legal cases and situations.

The reality that your marriage is over is difficult, even in the most amicable situations. So, here you are. For whatever reason, you are ready to dissolve your marriage. But where to start?

Do your homework

Maybe you have you seen the advertisements claiming you can get a divorce for $299. These low-cost divorces are generally suited for people with no children, no marital property and, really, nothing complicated. This is not most marriages!

Our Family Law attorneys know that a typical divorce starts at about $3,000 per couple. This amount will go up if the divorce is contentious, there is marital property or children are involved.

And couples who have included a stay-at-home parent where one partner handled all the finances have it especially challenging. For their protection, we often tell potential clients, “You’re not ready. Go home, get your finances in order and then come back.”*

In that case, she advises them to make copies of every financial document available, including tax forms, stocks, 401K accounts and mortgages to create a paper trail in the event that money “disappears” during the divorce process. Any money in joint banking accounts is legally the property of both spouses.

It is completely acceptable to withdraw up to half of any money in these accounts–but not a penny more. Put this money in a separate bank account.

Then, if you don’t have credit, open a credit card to establish credit as an individual and open a checking account in your own name.

Dollars and sense

It’s also important to have an attorney. After you choose your legal respresentative, make sure you understand how you will pay for your legal fees.

Then, make sure you understand the process. Pennsylvania is called a Fault/No Fault divorce state. A Fault divorce claims someone did something wrong, like had an affair during the marriage. It takes longer than No Fault divorce. Allegations of wrong-doing must be proven.

There are also different processes when proceeding with divorce. For example, the Collaborative Process encourages compromising and removes the combativeness. It’s quicker and cheaper, but only an option when the parties are extremely amicable. Your attorney will fully explain these procedures and help you determine which one is best for you.

And if you have children, you will need to file an action for child support through the Office of Domestic Relations. This will help you with some of the children’s expenses while you resolve the divorce issues.

Divorce can become costly, complicated, and overwhelming. We liken it to a death—even when the divorce is desired, there is grief, guilt and a sense of loss. Children often struggle. Counseling is very beneficial, especially for children, during and after the divorce process.

By Carla Arp

Updated 8/16/2019

Lawmakers are looking to continue protecting kids in Pennsylvania.

House Judiciary Committee’s Chairman Ron Marsico (R-Dauphin) and House Children and Youth Committee’s Chairwoman Kathy Watson (R-Bucks) hosted a joint hearing to obtain testimony from members of the Child Protection Task Force.

The task force presented its report to the committees and answered questions from the members in attendance.

The two committees hope to gather information and examine the recommendations in order to develop legislation pertaining to the findings of the task force.

One of the important aspects of the task force is a forensic interviewer who is trained to ask developmentally appropriate questions to the child.

The forensic interviewer interviews the child and that child’s interview is preserved by video if the need were to arise to go to court. With this method, the child would not have to be subjected to several interviews with multiple professionals; it’s a one stop shop process.

by Amanda McCall – Fox43

Philip J. McConnaughay, now bound for China, has carved out an impressive list of achievements as dean of Penn State’s Dickinson School of Law.

But around the historic home of the once-independent school, McConnaughay’s departure is being greeted with as much relief as sadness, and a chance to reset a sometimes tense partnership with Penn State.

McConnaughay said Thursday that he is leaving, effective Aug. 1, to become dean of the Peking University School of Transnational Law, based in Shenzhen.

There he will lead a school that seeks to fill a growing need for attorneys in China and offers graduate programs aimed at helping foreign attorneys do business there.

His 11-year tenure at Dickinson was touted by Penn State leaders Thursday as a time of growth for the law school as a whole, with the addition of state-of-the art facilities in Carlisle and State College, advanced technology to link them, and steady improvement in the quality and diversity of the student body.

Penn State President Rodney Erickson called McConnaughay an innovator who “can take great pride in all that has been accomplished under his watch.”

The positives are offset in Carlisle and with many Dickinson alumni by strongly held views that McConnaughay on multiple occasions bent university commitments to stay in Carlisle:

In 2003 it was McConnaughay who proposed moving the Carlisle-based law school to State College, just six years after Spanier and other university leaders had said the law school would remain in Carlisle “in perpetuity.” The dean raised the idea after seeing a capital campaign fall short of its targets and the school sliding in academic rankings. That proposal triggered a lengthy battle with alumni and the Rendell Administration that resulted in the current dual campus approach.

Last year, McConnaughay reopened the old wounds by proposing — as part of a response to declining law school applications nationally — to shrink first-year law classes and consolidate them at State College. The proposal was seen in some quarters as a new death knell for the Carlisle campus, already the smaller of the two law campuses.

Again, this came just four years after the university’s top leaders had signed contracts committing it to operate a three-year law program in Carlisle through at least 2020.

After receiving substantial pushback last fall, McConnaughay embarked on a new plan to seek separate accreditations for the Carlisle and State College law campuses, which would then continue to operate independently of each other.

The dean’s positions were perfectly legitimate when seen through the filter of a forward-looking administrator seeking the best for his school.

But Dickinson had a past, and Penn State — which had no law school prior to its original 1997 merger with the Carlisle school — had made promises.

As a result, some here could never shake the belief that McConnaughay pursued a State College-first mentality in running the law school from programming to student recruitment to hiring new faculty.

“There has been a trust issue with the dean, and it had to do with Penn State’s willingness to live up to its agreements,” said Chris Gulotta, a alum who helped structure agreements that allowed $25 million in state aid to flow to renovations at Carlisle as the former executive director of the Cumberland County Redevelopment Authority.

“I think this [change] will be very helpful because we will have a fresh perspective from Penn State’s vantage point… and maybe some different approaches for helping the Carlisle campus achieve parity with the University Park campus,” Gulotta said.

“It’s a great law school whether you have Dean McConnaughay in there or not,” said Carlisle attorney Jason Kutalakis, a Dickinson alum and frequent McConnaughay critic.

“Hopefully, some of the tension and animosity we have experienced in the past 10 years will leave with his departure.”

Plan to sever unified law school into two institutions stays on course, Penn State officials say.

Erickson told Penn Live today that Penn State’s decision to pursue separate accreditations for each campus from the American Bar Association stays in place for now, even though the split may not be fully executed until 2014.

But others sense the transition period creates a new period of fluidity.

For example, members of the Dickinson Law Association, the alumni group that holds veto power over some aspects of the law school’s operations through 2015 as per the dual campus agreement, are known to be lobbying quietly for the preservation of a single Dickinson Law School.

“It’s my hope that his [McConnaughay’s] successor will continue with the unified, two-campus program as it is,” said DLA member and attorney Hubert X. Gilroy, arguing that Dickinson can grow stronger simply with better marketing of the respective campuses’ strengths.

McConnaughay, reached by phone while traveling Thursday, said he prepares for his next assignment with no regrets about the changes he helped spur.

Controversy in Carlisle, he added, was a necessary by-product of changing the mindset at Dickinson to allow the merger with Penn State to work.

He reiterated that Dickinson School of Law was losing ground in the battle for quality students and financial resources to raise its game at the time Penn State initiated merger talks.

“I think the law school would have continued to struggle [without establishing separate campuses],” McConnaughay said. “The merger wouldn’t have made sense without fully embracing the possibility it provided in integrating with one of the world’s great research universities.”

BY CHARLES THOMPSON AND ERIC VERONIKIS, PennLive.com

Buried in Governor Tom Corbett’s 43-page lawsuit against the NCAA is the legal gem that explains the case.

On page 23 of the antitrust lawsuit filed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court in Harrisburg, Corbett argues that the sanction upon Penn State was “imposed by the NCAA as opposed to accepted by Penn State.”

According to attorney J. Abom of Abom & Kutulakis, Corbett is alleging the NCAA and president Mark Emmert gave the university an ultimatum: either accept the imposed sanctions or face the “death penalty” that would have eliminated the football team from all competition for one or more years.

Given the later option being more devastating, Corbett alleges Penn State president Rodney Erickson was forced beyond control.

“What I think the governor is saying is A, Penn State had no choice, and B, there’s no authority for [the NCAA] to impose the death penalty for his type of violation anyway,” Abom explained.

Abom further explained that Corbett accuses the NCAA of violating the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890. The federal law prohibits the weakening of competition within a given market; in this case NCAA football.

Abom believes the governor felt the NCAA weakened the competition of play by not allowing Penn State to play in bowl appearances, having a reduction of scholarships, and the payment of $60 million in fines.

Corbett also believes the loss of revenues typically generated by the Penn State football program is also grounds that violate antitrust laws.

The most important argument Corbett makes is that the NCAA and Emmert have no jurisdiction in such case and that the NCAA violated its own rules of procedure when handling sanctions.

Another argument made in the lawsuit, according to Abom, is that the governor believes the NCAA deals with amateur athletics and the Sandusky case and alleged cover-up is of criminal nature.

Abom further surmised that Corbett alleges Emmert not only overstepped his boundaries, but also did so at the expense of Penn State University for political or monetary gain.

In the suit, Attorney General Linda Kelly is said to have delegated power to Corbett to file a lawsuit on behalf of the Commonwealth without the involvement of her office. Corbett also left out Attorney General-elect Kathleen Kane, as he mentioned during the press conference on Wednesday.

The Associated Press reported Kathleen Kane reserved comment until a later date. Kane, who will be sworn in January 15, promised during her campaign to investigate Corbett’s handling of the Sandusky investigation.

The lawsuit asks the court to throw out the sanctions as well as potential damages. Besides Corbett’s general counsel, Esquire Ronald Wick from Cozen O’Connor, an international law firm in Washington D.C., was named as counsel for the governor.

It is unclear how much the lawsuit will cost the taxpayers of Pennsylvania.

By Dave Marcheskie- ABC27

Instagram users are thinking twice about keeping the photo ap on their smart phones, after news that policy changes would allow their photos to be used for advertisements without their consent.

“Once you click that send button or that post button you essentially lose all control over those photos,” said W. Creigh Martson of Abom & Kutilakis. “The mere use of that service, you are essential consenting to the terms and conditions.”

Facebook purchased Instagram earlier this year. The policy changes will be laid out in the terms and conditions of use. The changes would allow Facebook to sell your pictures to outside entities for the use of marketing, without your consent. Although Facebook would collect a fee, you would not receive any compensation for the use of your picture.

Bev James, of Mechanicsburg, says her daughter uses the ap and says she doesn’t like the idea they can use the photos at their will.

“I think they could use her picture anywhere, where we might not want it, and that scares me,” said James.

Some users are reconsidering how or if they will keep their accounts.

“I will probably keep it, but not post pictures of myself, ” said Rachel James of Mechanicsburg.

Instagram released the following statement in response to the outcry from upset users.

Thank you, and we’re listening.

Yesterday we introduced a new version of our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service that will take effect in thirty days. These two documents help communicate as clearly as possible our relationship with the users of Instagram so you understand how your data will be used, and the rules that govern the thriving and active Instagram community. Since making these changes, we’ve heard loud and clear that many users are confused and upset about what the changes mean.

I’m writing this today to let you know we’re listening and to commit to you that we will be doing more to answer your questions, fix any mistakes, and eliminate the confusion. As we review your feedback and stories in the press, we’re going to modify specific parts of the terms to make it more clear what will happen with your photos.

Legal documents are easy to misinterpret. So I’d like to address specific concerns we’ve heard from everyone:

Advertising on Instagram From the start, Instagram was created to become a business. Advertising is one of many ways that Instagram can become a self-sustaining business, but not the only one. Our intention in updating the terms was to communicate that we’d like to experiment with innovative advertising that feels appropriate on Instagram. Instead it was interpreted by many that we were going to sell your photos to others without any compensation. This is not true and it is our mistake that this language is confusing. To be clear: it is not our intention to sell your photos. We are working on updated language in the terms to make sure this is clear.

To provide context, we envision a future where both users and brands alike may promote their photos & accounts to increase engagement and to build a more meaningful following. Let’s say a business wanted to promote their account to gain more followers and Instagram was able to feature them in some way. In order to help make a more relevant and useful promotion, it would be helpful to see which of the people you follow also follow this business. In this way, some of the data you produce – like the actions you take (as in, following the account) and your profile photo – might show up if you are following this business.

The language we proposed also raised question about whether your photos can be part of an advertisement. We do not have plans for anything like this and because of that we’re going to remove the language that raised the question. Our main goal is to avoid things likes advertising banners you see in other apps that would hurt the Instagram user experience. Instead, we want to create meaningful ways to help you discover new and interesting accounts and content while building a self-sustaining business at the same time.

Ownership Rights Instagram users own their content and Instagram does not claim any ownership rights over your photos. Nothing about this has changed. We respect that there are creative artists and hobbyists alike that pour their heart into creating beautiful photos, and we respect that your photos are your photos. Period.

I always want you to feel comfortable sharing your photos on Instagram and we will always work hard to foster and respect our community and go out of our way to support its rights.

Privacy Settings Nothing has changed about the control you have over who can see your photos. If you set your photos to private, Instagram only shares your photos with the people you’ve approved to follow you. We hope that this simple control makes it easy for everyone to decide what level of privacy makes sense.

I am grateful to everyone for their feedback and that we have a community that cares so much. We need to be clear about changes we make – this is our responsibility to you. One of the main reasons these documents don’t take effect immediately, but instead 30 days from now, is that we wanted to make sure you had an opportunity to raise any concerns. You’ve done that and are doing that, and that will help us provide the clarity you deserve. Thank you for your help in making sure that Instagram continues to thrive and be a community that we’re all proud of. Please stay tuned for updates coming soon.

Sincerely,

Kevin Systrom co-founder, Instagram

Courtesy ABC 27 News – Attorney Creigh Martson Comments

By Laura Kennedy

After a string of questionable investigations into accusations of child abuse, including the case involving former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, a task force created by the Pennsylvania Legislature announced its recommendations Tuesday.

The Pennsylvania Task Force on Child Protection, formed in December 2011, released their recommendations based on a wide variety of cases, said Jason Kutulakis, member of the task force and senior partner at Abom & Kutulakis LLP.

While it would be unfair to say that it did not influence the board, Kutulakis said the Sandusky case was not the primary focus of the 11 member group. The task force looked at a variety of high profile cases, such as the issues surrounding the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and also spoke to parents of child abuse victims, he said.

The board calls for “sweeping changes,” and “essentially a complete [rewrite] of the Child Protective Services Law,” according to the recommendations.

The recommendations focus attention specifically on different definitions within the child abuse laws, Kutulakis said. The task force requires that many words such as “child abuse,” “perpetrators” and “mandatory reporters,” be looked at closely and redefined, according to the recommendations.

While sitting in the Senate listening to experts from across the state, the 11 members of the Pennsylvania Task Force on Child Protection kept two goals in mind.

“Our first requirement was to address the issue of mandated reporters,” Kutulakis said. “The secondary requirement was to re-instill public confidence in the child welfare system.”

Sandusky was convicted of 45 counts of sexual abuse in late June and sentenced to 30 to 60 years in prison in October.

Read Wednesday’s edition of The Daily Collegian for more details.

A state-appointed task force that spent the past year studying child protection laws generally got rave reviews from advocacy groups for the far-reaching recommendations contained in its 400-plus-page report.

The Task Force on Child Protection issued its final report Tuesday based on testimony from experts at 11 public hearings.

Pennsylvania Task Force Bucks County District Attorney David Heckler holds up a copy of a report from the Pennsylvania Task Force on Child Protection during a news conference Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2012 at the capitol in Harrisburg, Pa. Pennsylvania should enact “sweeping” changes to state child abuse laws, the legislative commission concluded Tuesday after a year of study prompted by Jerry Sandusky’s arrest on child molestation charges. The Pennsylvania Task Force on Child Protection’s recommendations include rewriting state law, redefining what constitutes child abuse and expanding the list of people who are required to report suspected abuse.(AP Photo/Bradley C Bower) The Associated Press

“I am just absolutely thrilled with the work they did. They really did succeed with putting the protection of kids above the convenience of adults,” said Angela Liddle, executive director of the Pennsylvania Family Support Alliance. The agency trains employees who are required by law to report suspected child abuse.

Joan Benso, president and CEO of Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children, a Harrisburg-based children’s advocacy group, echoed the praise, saying it includes “common sense that can better protect kids.”

Dauphin County Chief Deputy District Attorney Sean McCormick noted, however, that it’s sad that it took a tragedy such as the Jerry Sandusky child sex scandal “to sometimes get us focused.”

The task force recommended strengthening the penalty for mandated reporters who fail to report suspected child abuse from a third-degree misdemeanor to a second-degree misdemeanor. McCormick, who praised the report, had urged the task force to consider recommending that the penalty match the seriousness of the abuse.
I am thrilled with the work they did. They really did succeed with putting the protection of kids above the convenience of adults. — Angela Liddle

“It may not be what I asked them to do, but it’s a recognition that it needs to be a higher penalty,” he said.

Some fretted that the report doesn’t call for a state ombudsman to handle complaints when the system fails abused children. Others were disappointed that it skirted the issue of opening a window for past victims to report abuse after the statute of limitations has expired.

Liddle was disappointed that the task force recommended criminal sanctions for making false abuse reports. She said she understands the task force intended to discourage people from making reports for malicious reasons, but she fears the sanctions might cause people to hesitate to report abuse.

Jim Buckheit, executive director of the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators, said the panel’s recommendation to change the law so teachers and school personnel report suspected abuse to ChildLine, the state’s child abuse hotline, rather than leave that reporting to their administrators, is a concern.

Administrators “would prefer to know everything going on in their school district and be informed about any incidents that take place in the school district,” Buckheit said.

The panel said this recommendation was intended to be a check and balance in the reporting system. Task force member Jason Kutulakis said it was made in response to the Sandusky case in which three Penn State administrators stand accused of not reporting child sex abuse allegations on campus, in addition to other charges.

Lawmakers and Gov. Tom Corbett pledged to get to work in early 2013 to move the recommendations through the legislative process.

“It’s my hope that we can take the work of the task force to help create a culture that promotes greater awareness, more accountability and better coordination,” Corbett said.

Several advocates talked about the need for a culture change in Pennsylvania when it comes to protecting children, and that likely will entail time and money. But Liddle said getting this roadmap from the task force is “is a great first step toward strengthening child protection in Pennsylvania.”