Federal Investigation Launched Into Sexual Misconduct Allegations at NYC Public Schools
The Department of Education is probing whether the district mishandled nearly 2,000 reports of staff-on-student sexual misconduct.
The U.S. Department of Education has initiated a federal investigation into allegations of widespread "staff-on-student" sexual misconduct within New York City public schools. Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Kimberly Richey announced the probe Tuesday, stating that some reports indicate nearly 2,000 instances of such misconduct involving school staff and students in the city.
The investigation, led by Richey, will scrutinize whether the New York City Department of Education's handling of sexual harassment and assault claims against its personnel violated federal Title IX regulations. The department aims to determine if such allegations were inadequately addressed or concealed.
"We are just not going to allow school staff to engage in this type of abuse," Richey said in an interview. "We are taking a hard stance against this."
Richey described the allegations as "systemic and disturbing" and suggested the district might be "enabling child abuse in schools." She noted that complaints have come from concerned parents and school staff members.
The federal inquiry will seek to uncover whether employees accused of sexual misconduct were allowed to evade punishment, resign, or continue working within the school system while under investigation.
"What do New York City public schools know? Are they handling these complaints appropriately? Are they doing what they are legally required to do to protect students in New York City public schools?" Richey questioned, outlining the key inquiries for the district.
She emphasized accountability, stating, "We are going to hold the school district accountable for any misconduct and for any failure to respond the way that they are required to respond under federal law."
Richey warned that non-compliance with Title IX rules could jeopardize the district's federal funding. "We will make a determination about whether New York City public schools have complied with federal law," she explained. "And if they haven’t, we will come up with specific steps that they have to take in order to come into compliance. And then, New York public schools have a decision to make. They either come to compliance or they risk losing federal funds for failure to comply."
The New York City Department of Education has not yet responded to a request for comment regarding the investigation.
The Trump administration has initiated similar investigations into school districts in California, Georgia, North Carolina, Missouri, Texas, and Virginia over alleged failures to address staff-on-student sexual misconduct complaints.