Trump administration launches crackdown on teacher sexual misconduct

The Trump administration is cracking down on teacher sexual misconduct, threatening to pull federal funding from non-compliant schools. The move, led by Education Secretary Linda McMahon, follows a report that California failed to revoke credentials for at least 67 teachers accused of misconduct. The Department of Education is now investigating 20 districts, though critics call the action a political move to weaken unions.

Trump administration crackdown

• ▪The Department of Education is investigating 20 school districts over their data collection and handling of staff sexual harassment allegations.
• ▪The crackdown was prompted by a KQED-ProPublica investigation into California’s teacher disciplinary system.
• ▪The Trump administration has launched a national crackdown on how school districts handle sexual misconduct accusations against teachers.
• ▪Linda McMahon cited a “troubling and recurring pattern” of credible reports of sexual abuse by school employees going uninvestigated.
• ▪Education Secretary Linda McMahon threatened to withhold federal funding from public schools that fail to protect children from teacher sexual misconduct.

California teacher disciplinary system

• ▪California's Commission on Teacher Credentialing states that state law prevents it from formally reviewing allegations without an affidavit from alleged victims.
• ▪At least 14 of the 67 educators who kept their credentials after misconduct findings were subsequently rehired by other schools.
• ▪A KQED-ProPublica investigation found California's licensing agency did not revoke credentials for at least 67 educators whom districts determined had committed sexual misconduct.
• ▪California's disciplinary process for teachers is hidden from public view, unlike the systems for many other professions in the state like doctors and lawyers.

Transparency gaps in oversight

• ▪California's public database for credentialed educators notes disciplinary action with a red flag icon but does not explain the reason.
• ▪California law prohibits the state's teacher licensing agency from publicly sharing the reasons for disciplinary actions.
• ▪At least 12 other states, including Oregon, Washington, and Florida, make the reasons for teacher disciplinary actions publicly available.
• ▪A new California law creating a misconduct database for school support staff, such as bus drivers and custodians, does not apply to public school teachers.

Enforcement failures by districts

• ▪No state agency in California enforces the law requiring districts to check with previous employers about a candidate's misconduct history.
• ▪The Trump administration is investigating the Los Angeles Unified School District over an agreement to reassign, rather than remove, teachers accused of sexual misconduct during investigations.

Political criticism of guidance

• ▪Critics described the Trump administration's guidance as political grandstanding and a "wedge issue" intended to weaken teacher union power.
• ▪In her guidance letter, Education Secretary Linda McMahon singled out teachers unions as obstructions to legislative reforms to protect children.
• ▪The California Teachers Association accused the Trump administration of "weaponizing and distorting an issue for political purposes."

Gubernatorial candidate responses

• ▪A spokesperson for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra said Becerra would ensure the state "keeps educators who harm students out of the classroom."
• ▪Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton pledged to "end the loopholes that let dangerous teachers move from one school district to another."

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