CHICAGO (AP) — Keep kids with concussions off the field, or your school could be forced to pay up.
Chicago’s City Council is sending that threat through an ordinance that could make local schools — public and private — liable for water and sewer charges if they allow children to participate in sports with concussions.
It’s a unique approach to prevent serious head injuries.
But an alderman who co-sponsored the ordinance says he’s concerned about long-term damage to children, and is hoping this gets the attention of administrators, coaches and parents. The ordinance requires children to be removed from play if they have a concussion or show symptoms of one, and bars them from returning until they’ve been evaluated by a health care provider “trained in the evaluation and management of concussion.”
