Sexual Harassment & Abuse

Read more about how schools respond to unwelcome sexual comments, gestures, or actions
Student Well-Being & Movement Should Schools Teach About Sexting, Consent? Nevada Students Pitch Rule
A panel of Nevada students has proposed a bill that would require high schools to teach about issues like sexting, consent, and driving under the influence.
Evie Blad, March 22, 2017
1 min read
School Climate & Safety News in Brief District Led Investigation Into Locker-Room Assault
An investigation into the sexual assault of a black football player with disabilities by his white teammates at a small-town Idaho high school showed that crucial evidence was collected by school employees, not law-enforcement officials.
The Associated Press, March 7, 2017
1 min read
Student Well-Being & Movement News in Brief Texas Doesn't Keep Tabs on Improper Teacher Acts
A newspaper investigation has found the Texas Education Agency doesn't track if a teacher has been charged with or convicted of a crime.
The Associated Press, February 14, 2017
1 min read
School Climate & Safety News in Brief Settlements in LAUSD Case Top $200M to Abuse Victims
The Los Angeles Unified School District has reached another settlement with former students who alleged they were sexually abused by a Miramonte Elementary School teacher, bringing the total payout in the case so far to over $200 million.
Tribune News Service, December 13, 2016
1 min read
Law & Courts News in Brief Arbitrator Sides With Leader Fired for Ignoring Threats
An arbitrator has sided with a former Fairbanks North Star Borough school district superintendent who was fired in 2014 for incompetence.
The Associated Press, November 29, 2016
1 min read
Curriculum Opinion Reflections from a Nasty Woman: What's at Risk for Women Who "Come Forward"?
It is undeniable that character matters greatly in public leadership. Women who recognize and call out sexism and the sometimes-subtle aspects of rape culture are correct. And it isn't until the moral rot is laid bare and understood that we have any chance of living in a better, safer, more equitable world. We're not there yet, as this election illustrates.
Nancy Flanagan, October 21, 2016
5 min read
Every Student Succeeds Act Letter to the Editor Educator Sexual Misconduct Targeted by Provision in ESSA
To the Editor:
Thank you for your coverage of the new federal K-12 law, the Every Student Succeeds Act. Your introduction to the article series, "Inside the Every Student Succeeds Act," is absolutely correct in stating that "Now comes the really hard part: implementation." Topics that you covered included "accountability and testing, teacher quality, research, regulation, funding, early-childhood education, and thorny issues involving student groups that often lag behind their peers," as the introduction states.
July 19, 2016
1 min read
Law & Courts News in Brief L.A. to Pay $88 Million to Settle Sex-Abuse Cases
The Los Angeles Unified district will pay $88 million to settle lawsuits over sex abuse by teachers involving dozens of children at two elementary schools.
Corey Mitchell, May 31, 2016
1 min read
Law & Courts News in Brief Ala. District Pays Settlement to Girl Used to Lure Predator
The Madison County, Ala., school board revealed last week that it had paid $200,000 to settle a lawsuit by a student who said she was raped in a restroom in 2010 after a school worker tried to use her as bait to catch a predator.
The Associated Press, May 17, 2016
1 min read
School Climate & Safety News in Brief Some Teacher Misconduct In Iowa Goes Unreported
At least 103 cases of teacher misconduct in Iowa have been omitted from a national database since 1990.
The Associated Press, February 23, 2016
1 min read
School Climate & Safety News in Brief Athletic Staff Facing Charges Following Alleged Assault
Two high school basketball coaches and an assistant principal/athletic director were due in court late last week to answer charges stemming from an alleged hazing incident that resulted in the hospitalization of a 15-year-old boy in Tennessee.
Bryan Toporek, January 26, 2016
1 min read
Law & Courts H.S. Sports Programs in Va., Okla. Facing Allegations of Sexual Assaults
A high school basketball program in Virginia has been suspended indefinitely amid allegations of a sexual assault involving a 16-year-old boy, while junior varsity wrestlers in Oklahoma face similar allegations.
Bryan Toporek, January 26, 2016
3 min read
Acclaimed educator Rafe Esquith, who taught at Hobart Elementary in Los Angeles for 30 years, was fired this month after a district investigation for alleged misconduct.
Acclaimed educator Rafe Esquith, who taught at Hobart Elementary in Los Angeles for 30 years, was fired this month after a district investigation for alleged misconduct.
Beatrice de Gea/Los Angeles Times-File
Law & Courts In L.A., Tensions Rise Over Teacher-Misconduct Investigations
A high-profile lawsuit brought by renowned teacher Rafe Esquith highlights the Los Angeles district's process for investigating teachers accused of misconduct.
Stephen Sawchuk & Ross Brenneman, October 27, 2015
7 min read
Law & Courts News in Brief L.A. District Sued for $1B After Firing Famed Teacher
The Los Angeles school board last week fired renowned elementary teacher Rafe Esquith amid allegations of misconduct, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Stephen Sawchuk, October 20, 2015
1 min read