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A Southern California school district and another one in the Central Valley were sent letters by the Trump administration as part of a crackdown on districts that may have shielded teachers accused of sexual abuse and harassment, The California Post has learned.
Tulare City Unified School District and Wilsona School District, located in Palmdale, were two of the districts warned under federal law to promptly investigate allegations of sexual abuse and harassment and block suspected predators from quietly moving to other schools — a practice known as “passing the trash.”
“Our schools must protect America’s children. Parents should never have to wonder whether their kids’ school employs and protects sexual predators,” Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said.
“Schools that receive federal funding have a duty to protect students, report sexual misconduct honestly, and follow the law.”
Los Angeles Unified School District has already been investigated over rules that allegedly shielded predatory teachers. An agreement between the school district and the teachers’ union guaranteed teachers accused of certain serious misconduct are reassigned — rather than immediately terminated or removed from student-facing positions — while investigations are pending.
All three districts’ alleged behaviors could cost California $50 million in federal funding if violations are found.
The Post reached out to Tulare’s and Wilsona’s superintendents for comment. A spokeswoman for LAUSD previously said in a statement the district “takes all allegations of sexual misconduct and harassment with the utmost seriousness.”
The district “follows established Title IX procedures and other applicable laws and regulations, which are designed to ensure a fair, thorough, and impartial process for all parties,” the spokeswoman added.
Other schools outside California were also flagged by federal officials, including multiple districts in Georgia and Michigan each:
- Fredonia-Moccasin Unified District, Arizona
- Connecticut Technical Education and Career System, Connecticut
- DeKalb County, Georgia
- Richmond County, Georgia
- Savannah-Chatham County, Georgia
- Perry County, Kentucky
- Detroit Public Schools Community District, Michigan
- Taylor School District, Michigan
- Pontiac City School District, Michigan
- Springfield R-XII, Missouri
- Manchester School District, New Hampshire
- Gloucester Township Public Schools, New Jersey
- Cheltenham School District, Pennsylvania
- Marion 10, South Carolina
- Marion County, Tennessee
- North East ISD, Texas
- Campbell County Public Schools, Virginia
- Battle Ground School District, Washington
Among the cases cited by federal officials was a teacher who was allowed to transfer to another high school after a student complained he touched her thigh, stomach and shoulder.
Additional female students at the new school later accused the same teacher of staring at their breasts and touching their backs and buttocks — but he again received counseling and sexual harassment workshops rather than being removed from the classroom.
The federal action comes just months after a ProPublica and KQED investigation found at least 67 California educators kept their teaching credentials even after school districts determined they had sexually harassed students or committed other forms of sexual misconduct. At least 12 of those educators remained employed.
The Education Department is expected to increase oversight of states’ compliance with federal law — Title IX and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act — and scrutinize school districts whose Civil Rights Data Collection reports appear inconsistent with evidence of sexual misconduct.
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