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by WICS
TOPICS:
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WICS) — In a move to enhance the safety of student athletes, State Senator Mary Edly-Allen has successfully advanced House Bill 2521 through the Illinois Senate. The bill aims to increase protections for students by mandating stronger background checks for sports officials.
"As an educator, it is of utmost importance to safeguard our children, both in and out of the classroom," said Edly-Allen, a Democrat from Libertyville. "This bill helps ensure all children are safe and guarded while participating in high school athletics."
Currently, school employees, including bus drivers, are required to undergo fingerprint background checks, but this requirement does not extend to sports officials such as referees or umpires. An Inspector General report from last year revealed that dozens of individuals on Chicago Public Schools' "do not hire" list were paid substantial sums for officiating children's sporting events. This included a person with a felony conviction for kidnapping and at least eight sports officials who had been investigated by CPS for sexual assault.
In response to these findings, CPS has begun voluntarily conducting fingerprint background checks for all active officials. Edly-Allen's measure seeks to make such checks mandatory for all sports officials in Illinois, aligning them with the state's standard process for school employees. If enacted, Illinois would join 11 other states with similar background check laws for sports officials.
House Bill 2521 passed the Senate on Wednesday.
