Kentucky ranks number one in incidents of reported child abuse.
But what about the ones that don’t get reported? Or that aren’t considered child abuse because the behavior is accepted in certain circles or communities? None of these Kentucky teachers, for example, believed what they were doing to the children entrusted to their care was wrong.
January 19, 2015 – Bullitt County Public Schools (Shepherdsville, KY)
September, 2018 – Jefferson County Public Schools (Louisville, KY)
October 24, 2018 – Greenup County Schools (Wurtland, KY)
Problems with the tribunal process have been cited. In 2019, when the tribunal process faced potential changes by our state legislature, I testified about the bias that JCPS experiences, in particular, due to the racial makeup of our district not being comparable to that of the neighboring counties from which the tribunal panel is selected.
What about the ones that don’t get reported? Or that turn into coverups and retaliation against the employees who are mandated to report? How much more often are children of color abused, but because of implicit bias, explained away, considered “deserved,” or swept under the rug?