U.S. Department of Education Launches National K-12 Initiative to Protect Students from Adult Sexual Predators in Schools

The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) launched a national K-12 initiative on July 10, 2026, to address sexual predators in schools. The initiative aims to combat the pattern of uninvestigated sexual abuse and harassment by adults in authority and the practice of transferring suspected offenders, often referred to as 'passing the trash.' OCR is opening 20 investigations into school districts whose 2023-24 Civil Rights Data Collection submissions suggest they may not be appropriately addressing staff-on-student sexual misconduct.