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A Guide For Educators and Administrators On K-12 Teacher-Student Sexual Misconduct

Personal Project, written by Moira Schirk - Summer 2026 Intern


Coming into college, I wanted to raise awareness on childhood sexual grooming, specifically for K-12 educators and administrators. This passion stemmed from educators and administrators in my school district who provided inadequate support for students. School administration was mandated to report concerns of CSA; however, if the student or educator was courageous enough to report, they would not receive sufficient support from those around them, leading to their feelings being invalidated. If the case escalated to the public, educators would either express “I knew it” feelings to their peers or refrain from talking about it altogether. Once the case had died down or was solved by higher-ups, there was a lack of aftercare for students who faced or reported CSA. This cycle of inadequate awareness and acknowledgment causes immediate harm to the student and creates a negative work environment for educators who genuinely care and want to see their students succeed. By creating this, I hope to validate educators' concerns in reporting, while also acknowledging the immediate harms of the system. Although covert, childhood sexual grooming is an incredibly important topic that needs more awareness. I am thankful for the opportunity to collect research on this issue through Training Active Bystanders (TAB). 


INFORMATION:


“Although I realize that a child abuse report is not an accusation, I really hated to be the one to do it. What if the parents become angry with me? What if they pull their child out of my classroom? What if they see me as a troublemaker? I also wonder if I would be in any personal danger. Some of the abuse seems awfully violent. Will the parents come after me?” Anonymous Concern from Educator (Crosson-Tower).


School employee sexual misconduct is one of the most pervasive yet unspoken issues in education today. According to Billie Jo-Grant, the Board of Directors for S.E.S.A.M.E (Stop Educator Sexual Abuse Misconduct & Exploitation), one in ten students will experience sexual misconduct by a school employee before they graduate high school (Grant et al., 2018). Despite the prevalence of this issue, a lack of accountability, reporting and hiring policies, and open dialogue in K-12 institutions have caused school employee sexual misconduct to persist. In 2015, 498 school personnel were arrested for sex crimes with children (Grant et al., 2018). Common cases like these derive from the perpetrator seeking dependency from young victims who come from marginalized communities, have low self-esteem, and/or experience suicidal ideation (Piña). In a school setting, predators prey on student vulnerabilities by implementing grooming tactics to coerce the victim into compliance. Because perpetrators are often seen as credible authority figures, instances of abuse are more likely to go unnoticed, allowing misconduct to go unreported (Oltman et al.).

Institutions have failed to hold these school personnel accountable due to inadequate oversight and policies. Title IX was a Civil Rights Act enacted in 1972, which required all institutions receiving federal aid to take immediate action on sexual harassment complaints (U.S. Department of Education). However, this policy fell short in multiple areas due to the limited enforcement by school districts. In Franklin v. Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) (1992), Christine Franklin argued that GCPS failed to take action after her sophomore-year teacher, Andrew Hill, sexually harassed her. Instead of facing accountability charges, Hill resigned after her reports (Oyez). Although the US Supreme Court had sided unanimously with Franklin, enabling her to seek monetary damages, the ruling was reactive rather than preventative. It placed the burden on survivors like Franklin, as justice could only be pursued after harm had occurred.

Today, students are still struggling to seek the justice they deserve. According to Grant and her colleagues' study on Title IX implementation, 94% of students were unable to identify their Title IX compliance officer, and 70% were unaware of how to file a complaint against sexual misconduct (Grant, Haverland, et al., 2023). Educators can provide accurate support to ensure institutions are held accountable. Here are a few key terms educators can reference when dealing with a sexual misconduct case:


Passing the trash - a policy which allows an employee with a history of sexual misconduct to resign or move to another job without disclosing their history to future employers (Grant et al., 2018). School administration may use this tactic as a loophole to avoid accountability.


 Hindsight bias - people tend to overestimate the likelihood they would have predicted a person to sexually abuse children after learning about the abuse, which can lead to less accountability (Winters and Jeglic, 2021). For example, if an educator learns about a sexual abuse case, and their first thought is “I knew something was up with him/her/them.”


REPORTING:


All K-12 educators are mandated reporters of child abuse. Although legislation varies by state, if you suspect physical or sexual abuse, report to law enforcement immediately (S.E.S.A.M.E). Under Massachusetts law, you are obligated to call the Child-At-Risk Hotline for the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (1-800-922-8529) or visit their local department if you suspect physical or sexual abuse (Massachusetts Department of Children and Families). If you do not suspect physical or sexual abuse, but still have concerns about a student’s safety, please contact:

  • Your school district’s Title IX Coordinator (search district name Title IX Office)

  • Your school’s administration or social workers

It is still relevant to bring up your concerns, even if you only suspect that a minor's boundaries have been crossed. Please ensure not to investigate, evaluate, or talk to the child about the alleged abuse, even if you are close. Asking the wrong questions or pushing the child could significantly impact the investigation (Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools).

It’s also important to note that educators do not always see all the signs associated with sexual grooming. According to a study by Jeglic et al., which targeted adult CSA (child sexual abuse) and non-CSA victims, cases of CSA will involve more CSA-like behaviors than Non-CSA cases. Those who experienced CSA are more likely than Non-CSA victims to report behaviors from the SGS-V scale — a scale that allows adult CSA victims to self-report on their experiences of childhood sexual grooming (Jeglic et al.). Although indirect behavior could be Non-CSA, if you notice signs, it’s more important to report your concern than to wait. Although it’s important not to express subjective judgments when evaluating a potential CSA case, this data provides a platform for educators to build confidence in reporting.


TIPS FOR HOW TO SUPPORT STUDENTS FOR EDUCATORS AND ADMINISTRATION:


  • Validate the target's concerns! This is already hard enough for them to report. Don’t go immediately for phrases like: “How did ___ do this to you?” “Do you have any concrete examples?” “How did this happen?” This makes them go into defense mode / feel unheard. Instead, say something along the lines of: “This sounds like an incredibly difficult situation. You must be incredibly frustrated. I’m sorry you were put into this situation.” 

  • Provide aftercare to students of suspected sexual grooming. This includes checking in on them months after the issue and letting students know how to reach you. Although

    some circumstances are left to higher-up officials or child welfare services, you can still

    support students in their recovery.

  • Educators can promote social norms that protect against violence, such as understanding preventions are possible but only with conversation

  • Male teachers make up about 75-89% of documented school cases of educator sexual misconduct and grooming. Implement gender-inclusive coursework and opportunities that empower young girls. 

  • Educate yourself! Read materials and cases of teacher-student sexual misconduct! Know the facts! Ask questions to your administrators! Read school district handbooks! 

  • Don’t make assumptions!

  • Place trust in the target! Don’t immediately assume they are wrong, even if you are fond of the educator committing these potential harms. 


APPENDIX 1: 



SOURCES:


Crosson-Tower, Cynthia. The Role of Educators in Preventing and Responding to Child

Prevention-Booklet-US.pdf. 


Grant, Billie-Jo. “Passing the Trash: Absence of State Laws Allows for Continued Sexual

Abuse of K–12 Students by School Employees.” Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, vol. 28, no. 1,


Grant, Billie-Jo.“Title IX Policy Implementation and Sexual Harassment Prevalence in K-12

Schools.” Educational Policy, vol. 38, no. 2, SAGE Publishing, Apr. 2023, pp. 510–47,


Jeglic, Elizabeth L., et al. “Identification of Red Flag Child Sexual Grooming Behaviors.” Child Abuse & Neglect, vol. 136, Elsevier BV, Dec. 2022, pp. 105998–98, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2022.105998. 


Jeglic, Elizabeth L., and Georgia M. Winters. “An Analysis of Sexual Grooming in Cases of

Child Sexual Abuse by Educators.” Children and Youth Services Review, vol. 170, Elsevier BV,


Massachusetts Department of Children and Families. Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting - a Guide for Mandated Reporters. www.mass.gov/doc/a-mandated-reporters-guide-to-child-abuse-and-neglect-reporting/


Oltman, Gretchen, et al. Preventing Sexual Grooming by Teachers: One State’s Legislative

Preventing Sexual Grooming by Teachers: One State’s Legislative Approach Approach

Breakout Session: Preventing Sexual Grooming by Teachers: One State’s Legislative

Approach a Paper Prepared for a Concurrent Session at the 2021 Education Law Association

article=1008&context=edadfacproc.


Oyez. “Franklin v. Gwinnett County Public Schools.” Oyez, 2025, www.oyez.org/cases/1991/90-

918. 


Piña, Gillian. “How Do Traffickers Lure Their Victims? - the Exodus Road.” The Exodus Road,


Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools. “Policies and Procedures for Mandated Reporting | ASM Training Guide at a Glance | Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools Technical Assistance Center.” Ed.gov, 2023, rems.ed.gov/ASM_Chapter2_Reporting.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1#:~:text=Mandated%20or%20mandatory%20reporters%20(both,with%20local%20law%20enforcement%20agencies.  


S.E.S.A.M.E. “Reporting Abuse | National Center to S.E.S.A.M.E.” National Center to S.E.S.A.M.E., 2025, www.ncsesame.org/reporting-abuse-1.


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