INDIANAPOLIS — An effort to penalize school districts who fail to report teacher injuries failed to get off the ground this session.
In December, WRTV told you the Indiana State Teachers Association, the state’s largest teachers union, asked lawmakers to look at financial penalties for school districts that don’t comply with the law.
However, not a single lawmaker filed a bill to accomplish that.
“We’re disappointed that lawmakers didn’t act this session to strengthen the teacher injury reporting law, but we’re grateful that harmful language was removed from an early deregulation bill,” said ISTA President Keith Gambill. “This data is too important to ignore. ISTA will continue advocating to not only protect this reporting requirement, but to strengthen it and ensure it’s used to make schools safer for both educators and students.”
WRTV Investigates has reported on the growing problem of teacher injuries.
We found all kinds of injuries — teachers hit, punched, kicked, hair pulled, headbutted and some suffering from concussions.
WRTV Investigates contacted Rep. Ed Clere, who authored House Enrolled Act 1591, which took effect July 1, 2023.
The law requires schools to track teacher injuries and report the data to the Indiana Department of Education.
“The pushback against the reporting requirement has been disappointing,” said Rep. Clere. “I had hoped there would be an opportunity to strengthen it. Instead, those of us who support the requirement have been fighting just to keep the law intact.”
WRTV Investigates has learned in the past two legislative sessions, lawmakers have attempted to repeal HEA 1591, which requires schools to report injuries.
Indiana school districts reported 3,032 incidents of school employees physically injured on the job by a student during the 2023-2024 school year.
However, only 166 school districts reported out of more than 400 in the state.
“Schools not listed in the spreadsheet did not complete the data submission,” said Courtney Crown, a spokesperson for IDOE. “The next data collection will take place in July 2025 for incidents occurring during the 2024-2025 school year.”
Representative Ed Clere says school corporations are “thumbing their nose at the requirement without fear of consequence.”
“Still, the data that has been reported underscores the need for the requirement,” said Rep. Clere. “From the beginning, it has been about informing policymakers, and the need for informed policy discussions and action is obvious based on what has been reported. Instead of trying to bury our head in the sand, we should welcome data that can help us make school a safer place for everyone, including school employees. I will continue to defend the law while also looking for opportunities to strengthen it.”
WRTV Investigates contacted the Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents.
"IAPSS advocates for the safety and well-being of all Hoosier educators, however, we did not take a stance on the this language during session, " said Holly Stachler, Member Engagement Strategist at the Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents, in an email to WRTV.
WRTV Investigates also contacted House Education Committee Chairman Rep. Bob Behning.
The teacher injury reporting language was removed from House Enrolled Act 1002 following a second reading amendment (#5) that passed the House.
"I supported keeping the requirement for K-12 public and charter schools to report school employees who are physically injured on the job by a student if it results in worker's compensation or the employee missing time from work," said Rep. Behning in a statement to WRTV. "The purpose of House Enrolled Act 1002 is to streamline Indiana's K-12 education statutes and reduce unnecessary bureaucracy so teachers and administrators can focus less on oppressive reporting requirements and more on providing the best education possible for their students. I worked with the Indiana Department of Education to ensure keeping this measure doesn't result in redundant reporting requirements."
Behning said he's concerned about the number of teachers hurt on the job.
"The first report the IDOE issued on this showed a concerning number of these incidents, and I believe this is something that should continue to be monitored," said Behning in a statement to WRTV.
ISTA said in 2024 that penalizing schools who fail to report was a top priority for the 2025 legislative session.
“We are proposing a financial penalty for (not reporting to the state), but we are certainly open to discussing with lawmakers what that would look like,” said Jennifer Smith-Margraf, ISTA Vice President said in December. “Our goal is to make sure that data is reported so that we have good data with which to make those decisions.”
A Marion County judge found a former IPS student incompetent to stand trial for the alleged battery of a special education teacher.
Prosecutors charged Aziz Mahamadou in September 2024 with battery resulting in bodily injury after he allegedly attacked a special education teacher at George Washington High School.
According to court documents, Mahamadou attacked a teacher in class.
The teacher, according to court documents, suffered a cracked rib and a concussion from the attack.
