Across the country, 43 states list clergy as mandatory reporters, according to a federal agency that tracked the state laws in 2019. Of those, most have what’s called clergy/penitent privilege, a loophole that exempts clergy from reporting suspected abuse if the information was learned from someone seeking spiritual advice or during confession.
Washington leaves the decision to report suspected child abuse entirely up to clergy’s discretion. Currently, clergy face no legal consequences for failing to report suspected abuse, but they’re also protected from lawsuits if they do choose to divulge information said in confidence. Washington’s clergy/penitent privilege protects them from being examined in court for any confession made in confidence.
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