SPRINGFIELD – A new measure from State Senator Laura Murphy would close a loophole that leaves schools in the dark about educator misconduct investigations.

“Children must be protected at school, and to do so, the districts must be kept up to date about the teachers they employ,” said Murphy (D-Des Plaines). “A school district has a right to know if an educator they have employed is the subject of a misconduct investigation.”

Current law prohibits the Illinois State Board of Education from providing information on pending misconduct charges or ongoing investigations to an educator’s current employing school district. However, this leaves many parents and guardians feeling concerned when an investigation is concluded and released to the public. This also leaves school districts in the dark about whether they unknowingly hired a teacher engaged in misconduct, potentially putting their students at risk.

Senate Bill 1329 would provide more transparency during ongoing educator misconduct investigations by allowing ISBE to share pending charges with an educator’s current or most recent employer. The information would only be disclosed if the educator is under investigation for an act that constitutes a threat to the safety of students, such as sexual misconduct. It would also close a loophole that currently permits teachers under investigation to quit their job and get a new teaching position, gaining access to children again, during the time the investigation is ongoing.

“Increased transparency about these investigations will prevent the lifelong harm that mistreatment by an educator can cause,” said Murphy. “We need to advocate for students and ensure these investigations are not kept behind closed doors and this initiative will do just that.”

Senate Bill 1329 passed the Senate Thursday.