After Gov. Bobby Jindal issued an executive order in light of the scandal at Pennsylvania State University, Chancellor
Michael Martin claims the University is a step ahead.
Released a week after Penn State football coach Joe Paterno was fired amid a child abuse scandal, Jindal’s order made it mandatory that any action of child abuse or neglect in higher education institutions be reported to local child protection units and law enforcement within 24 hours.
The order states that while previous law required workers of specific professions to report child abuse — such as social workers, law enforcement officers and child care providers — there existed no similar mandatory requirement for university faculty.
Martin said LSU was already prepared for such instances, as he explained his regular correspondence with East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney Hillar Moore.
Contacting Moore in regards to campus crime and investigation is a much better way to do business than handling things internally, Martin said.
“We’re not trying to make criminal judgments outside of the criminal system,” he said.
Martin also referenced the University’s “If You See Something, Say Something” campaign, which promotes crime reporting.
“We’ve built that into our culture,” he said.
Martin said he calls Moore occasionally to ensure that crime is handled correctly at the University.
As for Jindal’s executive order, Martin attributed the knee-jerk reaction to the emotional impact of the crime at hand.
“I think this is a movement sweeping across the country,” Martin said of Jindal’s response. “Everybody is responding in different