A new law signed by Gov. Roy Cooper provides harsher penalties for teachers involved in sexual misconduct with students.
The bill is also intended to increase education and awareness of sexual misconduct by educators.
The charge of taking indecent liberties with a student is upgraded from a Class I to a Class G felony, and failure by school administration to report the misconduct to the State Board of Education within five days is now considered a Class I felony.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Catherine Truitt said the overwhelming majority of educators will never come anywhere close to violating the rights of students, but, “one instance of sexual misconduct is too many.”
