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⚠  Charlie's Law Is Under Threat — Contact Your Legislator Today
Louisiana Act 409 — Charlie's Law

More Than 1 Child Is Sexually Assaulted
At School Every Day in Louisiana.

75 of those victims were ages 3–5.
Charlie's Law was passed to protect them. Now it's under threat.

243
Reported Assaults
This Year
75
Victims Ages 3–5
1+
Per School Day
Assaulted

These are only the reported cases.

Take Action Now Support the Fight
Charlie and her dad
Charlie's Story

I'm Charlie's Dad.

I'm a member of the U.S. Army National Guard. I've deployed to Iraq. Nothing prepared me for what I discovered when I was helping my 3-year-old daughter change for gymnastics — and found blood in her underwear.

Charlie had been sexually assaulted by another child at her early learning center — a private program that, under Louisiana law at the time, was not required to be licensed, inspected, or held to any safety standards whatsoever.

When we went looking for accountability, the Sheriff's Office declined to act. DCFS declined to act. My wife said it best: "Everybody is pointing fingers at each other." We were forced to withdraw Charlie from the school and rely on out-of-state family just to keep her safe.

"The weeks that followed, my mental health would be equivalent to, if not worse than, my combat deployment to Iraq."

Instead of walking away, we went to the Louisiana Legislature and told Charlie's story. The response was immediate. Senator Regina Barrow said: "We need to get this gap closed. There is no reason this school shouldn't be treated like any other school." Senator Jay Luneau added: "We've failed this child, and we need to fix this problem."

ACT 409 — Charlie's Law — passed without a single no vote. Now, powerful interests want to undo it. We can't let that happen.

Watch Our Senate Testimony
Jana and I testified before the Louisiana Senate — 2:27–3:08  ·  Senate Committee, January 2025
What We Passed

What Is Charlie's Law? (ACT 409)

ACT 409 of the 2025 Louisiana Regular Session — "Charlie's Law" — was signed into law on June 20, 2025. It passed the Legislature without a single no vote. For the first time, all early learning centers including private and religious programs must be licensed by the Louisiana Department of Education. And every school must follow the 15 universal child safety standards — no exceptions. Here's what it does:

📋

Licensing for Private Programs

Private and religious pre-K programs serving children ages 3 and older are now required to be licensed by the Louisiana Department of Education — closing the gap that left Charlie unprotected. Public schools operate under separate existing oversight.

🛡️

15 Safety Standards for ALL Schools

Every school in Louisiana — public and private — must follow the 15 minimum child safety and welfare standards, including background checks for staff, mandatory reporting requirements, and basic protections for children in their care.

📢

Reporting Requirements

Charlie's Law clarifies and strengthens reporting obligations for child-on-child sexual abuse incidents in school settings, ensuring incidents can no longer be quietly swept under the rug.

👁️

Supervision & Bathroom Safety

Children must be supervised at all times — including during restroom use and outdoor activities. Facilities must post safety standards visibly and staff must always know exactly who they are responsible for.

👶

Child-to-Staff Ratios

The law defines specific supervision ratios by age: infants (5:1), age 1 (7:1), age 2 (10:1), age 3 (13:1), ages 4–5 (15:1) — ensuring no child is left without a responsible adult.

🔔

Mandatory Parent Notification

All suspected or confirmed abuse must be reported — and schools must notify parents directly, regardless of who the perpetrator is. Families can no longer be left in the dark. Parents receive the safety standards document every school year.

Read ACT 409 → LA Dept. of Education — Charlie's Law Page Full Explainer — How To Louisiana
Our Position

We Are Reasonable People
Asking Reasonable Things

My wife and I are not legislators. We don't run a school or a daycare. We are parents — and we are asking one simple question: how many children are we willing to sacrifice before we act?

We have deep respect for the legislators who fought alongside us to pass Charlie's Law — including those whose names are now attached to Senate Bill 441. We understand that no law is perfect, and we are open to improvements. What we are not open to is any version of this bill that trades real accountability for the appearance of it. Call the system whatever you want. Just make it work for the children.

Currently Under Review  ·  SB 441  ·  2026 Regular Session

What We're Asking For

If the system changes, these principles must carry through — for every child, in every program.

Clear Enforcement Mechanisms

Removing licensure is only acceptable if there is a defined, independent system to verify compliance — not self-attestation, not paperwork filed once a year. Real enforcement means unannounced visits, documented findings, and a transparent public record. SB 441 adds annual monitoring, which is a step — but the consequences for violations must be swift and certain, not discretionary.

Immediate Consequences for Violations

A written warning is not enough when a 3-year-old's safety is at stake. Any program that violates child safety standards must face immediate, mandatory consequences — not a corrective action plan that gives them time to correct what they should never have done. The current bill language allows too much discretion when a child's welfare is on the line.

Supervision Standards That Reflect Reality

Supervision ratios must reflect what children actually need — not what is operationally convenient. Raising the ratio for 4-year-olds from 15 to 20 children per adult — even temporarily — moves in the wrong direction. Charlie was 3.5 years old. These are not numbers on a spreadsheet. They are children in a room with one adult.

No Blanket Exemptions

Any program — regardless of whether it is called a school, a camp, a ministry, or a daycare — that places children in the care of adults must meet basic safety standards. Expanding the "camp" exemption to include 3-year-olds in religious programs creates the same gap Charlie fell through. The name on the door does not change the responsibility to protect what's inside.

"We are not here to make anyone's life harder. We are here because a system failed our daughter — and 243 children after her. We are willing to work with anyone who is willing to put children first. That is the only ask."

— Charlie's Dad & Mom

We are not anti-faith. We are not anti-private schools. We are pro-child.
History will repeat itself if we don't keep strong accountability at the center of whatever comes next.

Contact Your Legislator Read SB 441 →
Direct From Their Website

In Their Own Words

While Charlie's Law (then SB 41) was still being debated, the Louisiana Conference of Catholic Bishops published this legislative update on their own website — laccb.org. No interpretation needed.

Screenshot — laccb.org Legislative Update
Louisiana Conference of Catholic Bishops legislative update showing opposition to Charlie's Law
📸
Save screenshot as bishops-statement.jpg
in your website folder
The Circled Passage
"We are working on amending SB 41, which has impacts on our day care centers related to licensing, bathrooms, and civil liability for sexual abuse on school property."
— Louisiana Conference of Catholic Bishops, Legislative Update  ·  laccb.org
SB 41 = Charlie's Law
SB 41 is the bill that became ACT 409 — Charlie's Law. The Bishops were working to amend it before it ever passed.
Civil Liability for Sexual Abuse
Limiting civil liability for sexual abuse on school property means making it harder for families to hold institutions legally accountable when a child is assaulted.
Licensing & Oversight
Opposing licensing means opposing the background checks, inspections, and accountability measures that protect 3- and 4-year-olds in their care.

This is not about faith. This is not about religion. Every child — regardless of where they attend school — deserves the same basic protections. No institution should be exempt from accountability when the safety of a 3-year-old is at stake.

What You Can Do

What Happens Next Matters

Three things you can do right now to protect Louisiana's children.

1

Contact Your Legislator

Louisiana lawmakers need to hear from you. Tell them you support Charlie's Law and oppose any effort to weaken its child safety protections. It takes less than 5 minutes.

Find My Legislator →
2

Share This Message

Every share puts more eyes on this issue. Post on social media, text the link to friends and family, and make sure people in your community know what's at stake.

3

Read & Share ACT 409

Read the actual text of Charlie's Law so you know exactly what's at stake. Share the official Louisiana DOE page so others can see what the opposition wants to take away.

Official DOE Page Read the Full Law

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