Just hours after Gov. Jay Nixon signed the bill Thursday, Jefferson City's Board of Education was learning the effects of a new law to make it harder for teachers accused of sexual misconduct with students to go to another district.
"It deals primarily with how you handle allegations of sexual misconduct in the school - in public schools, particularly - they didn't see the need to address private schools or parochial schools in the bill," said Penny Rector, the Jefferson City district's new assistant to the superintendent for human relations, and legal counsel.
"Allegations of sexual abuse must now be reported within 24 hours of that allegation being brought forward."
Rector told the board that new language "is a positive change from the (current) law, which was a little unclear - it was always, if you have reason to suspect, then you shall report."
The district has until next July 1 to set a policy "regarding the information that we're going to share about former employees" with other potential employers, especially school districts.