Washington, D.C. — Education Secretary Linda McMahon says the federal government is intensifying enforcement against schools that fail to properly address allegations of sexual misconduct by teachers and other adults in positions of authority.
Speaking Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union,” McMahon criticized the practice of moving an accused educator to another school without placing the allegations in the employee’s record, saying the Education Department has been “cracking down” on the practice.
The department launched a nationwide K-12 initiative in July reminding federally funded schools that they must respond promptly to sexual harassment allegations and cannot help employees credibly accused of misconduct obtain new jobs elsewhere. The department says schools that violate federal law could ultimately lose federal funding.
The initiative followed reporting by ProPublica and KQED that found California had allowed dozens of teachers to retain their credentials even after school districts determined they committed sexual harassment or other misconduct. Some were later hired by other schools.
McMahon has also opened a federal investigation into the Los Angeles Unified School District over allegations that its employment practices allowed some accused teachers to be reassigned rather than terminated.
The department says its enforcement is based on existing obligations under Title IX and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, including requirements intended to prevent the practice commonly known as “passing the trash.”
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