Earlier this month, the Education Department opened 20 investigations into unnamed school districts that are allegedly failing to address sexual misconduct by staff members. Now, media reports are revealing which districts are under scrutiny.
The investigations are part of a new federal initiative cracking down on sexual predators in K12 schools. The probes are based on the department’s 2023-24 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The department is accusing districts of “passing the trash,” whereby schools assist former employees in obtaining new employment despite having knowledge that the individual engaged in sexual misconduct involving a student.
“Sexual predators who operate within the walls of American schools depend on institutional silence and complacency,” reads a letter from the department describing the initiative. “Such silence is not only a moral failure but also violates federal law designed to protect our most defenseless class of citizens—our children.”
Behind the investigations
A list published by ProPublica identifies the districts being targeted. However, reports have not uncovered the details behind the investigations.
Three Georgia school districts are accused of not adequately reporting staff-on-student sexual misconduct. But officials in DeKalb County, Richmond County and Savannah-Chatham County said they comply with student safety laws.
“SCCPSS maintains procedures that are designed to keep students safe, including the removal of staff from student-facing positions when there are allegations of misconduct,” the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System said in a statement.
Similarly, the Tulare City School District is one of two systems under review in California.
In a statement to The Fresno Bee, the district said it “takes all reports of employee misconduct seriously. When the district learns of potential misconduct of an employee, it investigates the matter in accordance with district policies, the law, and works closely with the appropriate authorities.”
The district did not share how many reports of employee misconduct it received.
Beyond sexual misconduct
The department’s latest wave of investigations comes amid continuous probes into districts that are allegedly violating Title IX, which prohibits discrimination based on sex.
Late last month, the department ruled that Jefferson County Public Schools violated federal law by allowing male students to participate in female sports, use female bathrooms and locker rooms, and share overnight accommodations.
The department issued a “Letter of Impending Enforcement Action,” stating the district has 10 days to comply or lose federal funding.
In Maryland, the state’s Department of Education and three school districts—Montgomery County Public Schools, Prince George’s County Public Schools and Frederick County Public Schools—are under review.
According to a complaint received by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, Maryland’s statewide guidance and district-level policies require schools to allow male students to compete in female sports and share locker rooms and restrooms.
“The practice of allowing students to access sex-separated programs and facilities based solely on self-asserted ‘gender identity’ is deeply troubling and raises significant legal concerns,” Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Kimberly Richey said in a statement.
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