U.S. Department of Education investigating school districts’ handling of sexual misconduct claims

The U.S. Department of Education is initiating multiple investigations into school districts' handling of sexual misconduct claims involving staff members and students. These investigations, carried out by the Office for Civil Rights, aim to address "pass the trash" practices, which refer to school districts allowing educators accused of misconduct to transfer to other institutions.

The agency's investigations, which include districts in New York, Colorado, California, Georgia, North Carolina, Missouri, Texas, and Virginia, come after a series of troubling allegations of sexual abuse and harassment in schools. The 74 reported that nearly 2,000 complaints were filed under New York's Child Victims Act, accusing school staff of sexual abuse, though this figure includes both public and private schools across the state.

Kimberly Richey, assistant secretary for civil rights, emphasized that the investigations are aimed at protecting children and ensuring their safety at schools. The New York City Department of Education and Jeffco Public Schools in Colorado were singled out in the Department's press release. In recent years, several Jeffco school employees, including a former school social worker, a security guard, and other staff members, have been convicted of sexually abusing students.

The district has also been under federal scrutiny for its policies supporting transgender students. The Trump administration reinstated Title IX rules last week, a move that advocates for survivors of campus sexual assault have criticized due to provisions that may make it more difficult for victims to prove their cases.