The Trump administration has alerted three school districts in California that they may be in violation of federal law for allegedly shielding educators accused of sexual abuse and harassment. The districts, Tulare City Unified School District, Wilsona School District in Palmdale, and the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), received letters as part of a federal effort to prevent the practice known as “passing the trash,” where accused predators are moved to new schools rather than being terminated.
Secretary of Education Linda McMahon stated, "Our schools must protect America’s children. Parents should never have to wonder whether their kids’ school employs and protects sexual predators." She emphasized that schools receiving federal funding have a responsibility to report misconduct accurately and adhere to the law.
LAUSD, in particular, is under scrutiny for agreements with its teachers' union that reportedly allow educators accused of serious misconduct to be reassigned during investigations instead of being immediately removed or terminated. If violations are confirmed, these three California districts could collectively forfeit up to $50 million in federal funding.
A spokeswoman for LAUSD previously stated that the district treats all allegations of sexual misconduct and harassment with extreme seriousness and follows established Title IX procedures and other applicable laws to ensure a fair process for all parties involved. Representatives for Tulare and Wilsona were contacted for comment.
This action follows a ProPublica and KQED investigation that found at least 67 California educators retained their teaching credentials despite school districts determining they had engaged in sexual misconduct with students. At least 12 of those educators remained employed by school districts.
The Department of Education plans to increase its oversight of state compliance with federal laws, including Title IX and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, and will examine school districts whose Civil Rights Data Collection reports seem inconsistent with reported incidents of sexual misconduct.
Federal officials also flagged school districts outside of California, including multiple districts in Georgia and Michigan. Other districts cited include Fredonia-Moccasin Unified District in Arizona, Connecticut Technical Education and Career System, DeKalb County, Richmond County, and Savannah-Chatham County in Georgia, Perry County in Kentucky, Detroit Public Schools Community District, Taylor School District, and Pontiac City School District in Michigan, Springfield R-XII in Missouri, Manchester School District in New Hampshire, Gloucester Township Public Schools in New Jersey, Cheltenham School District in Pennsylvania, Marion 10 in South Carolina, Marion County in Tennessee, North East ISD in Texas, Campbell County Public Schools in Virginia, and Battle Ground School District in Washington.
One case highlighted involved a teacher who was transferred to another high school after a student accused him of inappropriate touching. Subsequent accusations of similar behavior from other students at the new school also resulted in the teacher receiving counseling and harassment workshops instead of removal from the classroom.