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McMahon says Education Department ‘cracking down’ on teachers harassing students
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Education Secretary Linda McMahon said Sunday her department is "cracking down" on K-12 teachers sexually harassing students. During an interview on CNN's "State of the Union," McMahon criticized the practice of a school district reassigning a teacher accused of sexually harassing a student to another school. "And it's not part of their record or anything, so we have really been cracking down on that as well," she told host Dana Bash. McMahon also noted that 1 in 10 children will be sexually molested by the time they finish high school, citing research her department conducted. ProPublica and KQED reported in May that the state of California did not revoke the professional licenses of 67 teachers whom school districts determined sexually harassed students or committed other types of sexual misconduct from 2019 through 2025. Other schools hired at least 14 of those educators, with at least 12 of those still working in education as of May, according to the reporting. The Education Department responded to that reporting by launching an investigation into the Los Angeles Unified School District, as well as a nationwide effort to "crack down" on teachers harassing students. The former probe centers on the district's alleged agreement with the United Teachers of Los Angeles union that it will reassign — and not terminate — teachers that are credibly accused of having a sexual or romantic relationship with a student, creating child pornography and failing to report suspected child abuse, according to a letter McMahon penned to educational institutions in July. In the letter, McMahon noted the Education Department can revoke federal funding from schools that do not comply with federal sexual misconduct laws. "Make no mistake, the Department will fully enforce federal law and employ every resource at its disposal to protect children from sexual predators," the Education secretary wrote. "Those schools that allow sexual misconduct to occur risk the termination of applicable federal assistance provided by the federal government." "This epidemic of nationwide sexual abuse in our schools must end." Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
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