Education Secretary Linda McMahon stated Sunday that an estimated 1 in 10 schoolchildren are sexually molested before completing high school, a statistic she described as "terrifying."

During an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union,” McMahon asserted that the Trump administration is actively addressing sexual abuse within public education and targeting districts with lenient policies toward perpetrators.

"This stat will probably blow your mind. It did mine," McMahon said. "Statistics show 1 in 10 children before they finish high school will have been sexually molested in school."

She specifically cited California as a state with a high incidence of such abuse and weak enforcement. "Instead of firing those teachers, those teachers just get sent to another school. And it’s not part of their record or anything," she noted, adding that the abuse can involve faculty or staff. "We have really been cracking down on that as well."

The Department of Education was contacted for further details on the study and its methodology. Previously, a report in The Post revealed that California faced the potential loss of $50 million in Title I federal funds if it did not adequately penalize teachers accused of abuse, as part of a broader crackdown by the Trump administration.

A report to Congress more than two decades ago found that over 4.5 million children experienced sexual misconduct, ranging from physical abuse to inappropriate comments. That study also concluded that 1 in 10 children endured such misconduct.

McMahon also addressed the growing use of artificial intelligence in classrooms, expressing openness to its potential. She described AI as a tool that can provide students with a "one-on-one tutor," allowing teachers to monitor individual progress and adjust instruction. She cited a visit to a school in Austin, Texas, where AI programs helped students who were behind and accelerated learning for those who were excelling.

"The teacher can monitor to see if a child is a bit behind and repeat information for them," she explained. "If a child is really excelling, then their programs get sped up a bit. So it’s a great tool."

However, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt voiced concerns about AI in education. He warned that increased technology use in classrooms has previously correlated with decreased test scores. "Now they want to run a third experiment on younger kids, giving them all what already we know that I causes a detriment of learning," Haidt said of AI. "I’m extremely negative about the role of AI in education, especially in elementary school. And I say, let’s not do another uncontrolled experiment. Just keep it out of elementary school. That’s where kids need to learn basic skills. Don’t have them interacting with chatbots. And look, in high school we can experiment."