Mandatory reporters in the District of Columbia — licensed clinical social workers, teachers, physicians, and other designated professionals — face a dual regulatory bind. Under D.C. Code § 4-1321.02, they must report suspected child abuse or neglect to the Child and Family Services Agency or law enforcement upon reasonable cause, or risk criminal penalties for willful failure. At the same time, they remain exposed to civil claims for professional malpractice, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and related torts if a parent or guardian later challenges the report as fabricated or malicious. That exposure is precisely what the immunity statute is
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