California public schools spared from law that punishes employers of sex abusers

http://eagnews.org/california-public-schools-spared-from-law-that-punishes-employers-of-sex-abusers/

By Ben Velderman
EAGnews.org

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Victims of sexual abuse will be able to sue private schools and private employers for failing to protect them from their abuser regardless of statute of limitation considerations, under the terms of a bill that’s awaiting Gov. Jerry Brown’s signature.

The potential law “would allow alleged victims younger than 31 to sue employers of abusers, extending (the) present age limit for alleged victims” by five years, reportsCatholicNewsAgency.com.

The Catholic Church and the Boy Scouts figure to be the most affected by the legislation, should Brown sign it into law, as expected.

One group that won’t have to worry about any of this is California’s public schools.

“The bill specifically exempts public schools and other government institutions from lawsuits,” CatholicNewsAgency.com reports. “It also exempts the actual perpetuators of the abuse from civil action in some cases, while leaving their employers vulnerable.”

National Review Online’s Kevin D. Williamson writes that exempting public schools from potential lawsuits – and financially debilitating settlements – is due to the political strength of California’s public sector labor unions.