Teacher Not Required to Report Sexual Abuse: Attorney

An attorney defending a teacher who admitted to not reporting the sexual abuse of a child says his client did not need to under law.

Michael Lanners, 39, Lake Villa, one of three charged with knowing about but not reporting sexual abuse against children in the case of former Gavin South Middle School teacher and Lake Forest resident Michael Vucic, did not know the victim on a professional level when he was informed of the former teacher’s actions.

Vucic was sentenced last week to 50 years in prison for the sexual abuse of two students at the school, one who was under 13 years of age. Lanners admitted to seeing a videotape of the victim touching Vucic’s genitals and that Vucic had told him he and the student were in love, and would be together when the girl turned 18.

Prosecutors claim Lanners told Vucic to “be careful” and that the girl was “too young,” and never reported the abuse.

Lanners’ attorney, Barry Lewis, argued in court this week that though teachers are required reporters under the Illinois Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act, the law did not apply in Lanners’ case because the student must be “known to (the teacher) in his professional or official capacity,” the Chicago Tribune reported.

Lanners and Vucic only worked together during the 2001-02 school year at Gavin South. Lanners had worked at Mundelein School District 75 until a year ago.

“Michael Lanners is charged with not stepping up,” Lewis said. “There is no such duty under the law. ... There is no moral duty to rescue anyone, even someone facing death.”

Prosecutor Tara Ori argued that Lanners was still “a mandated reporter” in reporting abuse.

“The defendant knowingly and willfully failed to report suspected child abuse,” she said. “He knew the minor was being abused. He watched the video.”

more via the Chicago Tribune