Administration

Education Department investigates LA school district over handling of teachers accused of sexual misconduct

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by Ryan Mancini - 05/05/26 8:11 PM ET

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by Ryan Mancini - 05/05/26 8:11 PM ET

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The Department of Education on Tuesday announced that it is investigating the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) over its alleged reassigning, and not removal, of teachers accused of sexual misconduct.

The department released a statement accusing LAUSD of “protecting predators at the expense of its students” and that the reassigning of teachers included those “engaging in exploitative ‘romantic relationships,’ to another school.”

The department’s Office for Civil Rights will investigate if LAUSD’s handling of sexual misconduct cases violated Title IX.

“Under Title IX, schools must respond appropriately and address claims of sexual misconduct, including sexual harassment and assault, in a timely manner, but the District seems to be putting the continued employment of sexual predators above the safety of students,” the department’s Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Kimberly Richey said in the statement.

The terms “cemented” in the LAUSD contract with the teachers union appears to guarantee that teachers will be reassigned, not terminated or immediately removed from student-facing roles while officials investigate “accusations made against LAUSD instructors,” according to the department.

“It is unconscionable that the District would simply ignore Title IX’s procedural requirements to protect teachers who cause life-changing harm to their kids,” Richey said. “The Trump Administration will always fight to uphold the law, protect the safety of all students, and restore common sense to our schools.”

An LAUSD spokesperson told The Hill that the district followed established “procedures, which are designed to ensure a fair, thorough, and impartial process for all parties.”

“When allegations are reported, they are promptly reviewed, and appropriate interim measures are implemented to protect those involved,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “If violations are substantiated, the District takes decisive action in accordance with the law and our policies.”

The LAUSD “continuously” reviews its policies, training and “reporting systems to better prevent misconduct and support those who come forward. We encourage anyone with information or concerns to report them so they can be addressed appropriately,” the statement reads.

The Hill has reached out to the United Teachers Los Angeles for comment.

LAUSD policy states that “a reassignment is defined as the provisional removal of an employee from their regularly assigned workplace for the safety of District students, staff, or the workplace (e.g., ‘temporary pull,’ ‘housing’ an employee, relocation of worksite for investigation into allegations, issuing a ‘stay-away’ notice, suspension pending dismissal).”

The district’s primary consideration based on the policy is “the risk to the safety of students, staff, or the workplace … pending the outcome of a preliminary inquiry or full investigation.”

If the district investigation yields results that would lead to police involvement and police decline to file charges, LAUSD officials are obligated to conduct a further investigation if internal discipline is necessary.

The department’s investigation appears to be in connection with an August 2024 agreement between the teachers’ union and LAUSD, which resolved a union grievance over administrative overreach, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Employees are removed or “reassigned” when an investigation begins, the outlet wrote. The educator is then “notified within 5 days of the general nature of the allegations against them.”

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