US Department of Education Data Shows 1,100 Sexual Assault Allegations Against Public School Staff

Approximately 1,100 allegations of rape, attempted rape, or sexual assault were made against public school employees during the 2023-24 school year, according to new data released by the U.S. Department of Education. These figures are part of the department’s ongoing efforts to enforce Title IX and protect students nationwide.

The data comes from the latest Civil Rights Data Collection, a mandatory survey encompassing over 17,000 public school districts and 97,000 schools across the country.

Of the roughly 1,100 allegations against staff members, about 320 resulted in an employee resigning or retiring before disciplinary action was finalized. Approximately 280 cases concluded with a finding that the employee was not responsible, 230 remained pending, and 200 led to findings of responsibility. Another 90 cases resulted in a duty reassignment before final disciplinary action or termination.

Separately, school districts reported approximately 11,800 incidents of rape, attempted rape, or other sexual assault during the same 2023-24 school year. Of these, about 460, or roughly 4%, were identified as having been committed by school staff.

Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Kim Richey stated, "Parents deserve to know that when they send their children to school, their safety comes first." She added, "The Civil Rights Data Collection gives us critical information to identify potential failures to protect students and hold school districts accountable when concerns arise."

The department noted that the number of reported incidents and the number of allegations against staff are distinct measurements and that reporting in this area is still developing. The questions regarding staff sexual offenses were initially optional in the 2020-21 collection and became mandatory for the 2023-24 cycle.

These findings follow the department’s Office for Civil Rights launching a national K-12 initiative in July aimed at safeguarding students from sexual misconduct by adults in schools. This initiative included 20 directed investigations into districts that the department indicated may have inadequately addressed staff-on-student sexual misconduct.

Schools found to be non-compliant in responding to sexual harassment or abuse may violate Title IX and could face enforcement actions, including the potential loss of federal funding. The Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights is tasked with enforcing federal civil rights laws to ensure schools prioritize student safety.

In a related development, the department formally removed a vacated Biden-era rule from the Code of Federal Regulations and restored the 2020 Title IX regulations. The 2020 regulations outline requirements for how federally funded schools must handle allegations of sexual harassment and assault while ensuring due-process protections for accused students. The administration has also directed federal agencies to interpret sex-based protections based on biological sex rather than gender identity, defining sex as an immutable biological classification and subsequently instructing the Office for Civil Rights to enforce Title IX accordingly.