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The law is named after Illinois resident Faith Colson. Colson
was sexually abused by a teacher at her high school and learned
years later during the course of legal proceedings that several
adults within her high school suspected the inappropriate
relationship but did not take action.
Faith's Law was passed by the 102nd General Assembly as two
separate pieces of legislation. The first legislation, Public
Act 102-0676, took effect on Dec. 3, 2021 and, for the first
time, established the definition of sexual misconduct within the
School Code.
The
new law closes a loophole that previously allowed teachers and
school staff to have a sexual relationship with a student
because the age of consent in Illinois is 17.
Tania Haigh, executive director of the nonprofit child
protection organization Kids Too, said the new law also closes a
loophole and addresses the possibility that an offender moves to
another school.
“This really allows for the administration, the employers of the
educators, to request notices of their employment history,”
Haigh said.
Potential hires will also have to answer a survey regarding if
they have ever been involved in any cases or allegations of
sexual misconduct.
Also, if a district superintendent has any reasonable cause to
believe an employee has committed an act of sexual misconduct,
the superintendent must report this information to the state
superintendent of education and the regional superintendent of
schools.
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