University Enacts New Policies to Prevent Abuse

The University of Illinois has adopted new policies after the sexual abuse scandal at Penn State University.

Former Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky was sentenced this month for sexually abusing 10 boys over a 15 years.

In the wake of the scandal, a task force at the University of Illinois came up with a series of rules that all employees must follow, including mandatory sexual harassment training. Criminal background checks can also be performed on employees who have regular contact with minors.

Maureen Parks, the U of I’s associate vice president for human resources, said she hopes the new policies make the U of I safer.

“The situation at Penn State just really strengthened our resolve to say we need to take a comprehensive look at our program of protection and determine are there any holes, do we need to strengthen anything, do we need to change procedures, etc,” Parks said.

The U of I must also keep records of all events that involve minors, like sports camps. The policies will officially be rolled at next month’s board of trustees meeting.

Meanwhile, state law will also require all university employees report suspected cases of abuse and neglect.