Every adult in a school — from teachers and administrators to bus drivers and volunteers — has a responsibility to protect students from sexual misconduct.

 

This means knowing the warning signs, setting and respecting professional boundaries, reporting concerns, and taking action when something isn’t right. By staying informed about state laws, codes of conduct, and local policies, and by fostering open, honest conversations, educators create safer environments where students can learn and thrive.

 

It is imperative to acknowledge our responsibility as educator preparation providers, preservice educators and career educators to protect students from predatory educators. It is also essential to remember that the term educator includes teachers, administrators, paraeducators, and coaches—anyone licensed and that our responsibility extends to unlicensed member of the school community including student teachers, custodians, secretaries, maintenance, bus drivers and volunteers. Regardless of where you work in a school environment and in what capacity, you have a responsibility to be an engaged advocate for students.  

 

This responsibility includes, but is not limited to the following: 

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1. A pursuit of ongoing education, training and professional development 

2. An understanding of professional boundaries  

3. An understanding of risk and decision-making  

4. An awareness of your students and changes in their behavior

5. An awareness of your colleagues and questionable behavior 

6. An awareness and understanding of: 

   • Reporting requirements and mandatory reporting 

   • Local policies and procedures 

   • Professional responsibilities 

   • Codes of conduct that govern licensure and certification

   • Codes of ethics to help guide decision-making 

   • State laws and definitions 

   • Federal laws and regulations 

   • Locally accepted definitions of sexual misconduct and grooming behavior 

7. A willingness to act; to: 

   • Intervene to stop questionable interactions 

   • Report suspicious activity to your principal or supervisor, verbally and in writing and require a signature or other documentation to assure receipt 

   • Follow-up on initial reports to ensure your concerns are addressed 

   • Check your own behavior to ensure you are not serving as a bystander in a situation that is putting a student or students at risk 

   • Lead by example 

   • To lead and normalize conversations with peers and supervisors 

   • Monitor your own thinking 

   • To question what does not seem right 

   • To report concerns to outside agencies including law enforcement and child welfare services 

 

A common challenge with identifying and acting on educator sexual misconduct is the diverse nature of associated definitions (i.e. grooming, misconduct, consent, etc.). Therefore, it is important to specifically consider the state in which you are licensed and practicing. 

 

The purpose of engaged advocacy is not about creating an environment of distrust and conspiracy, it is about creating an environment that maintains schools as a place of safety, security and learning for everyone. As educators, future educators or those training educators, we must acknowledge the existence of educator sexual misconduct and our responsibility to actively intervene because being bystanders makes us culpable to the harm done to students by educators. 

 

Resources: 

 

1. Model Code of Ethics for Educators (MCEE) (NASDTEC)  

2. ESSA, Section 8546: Prohibition on Aiding and Abetting Sexual Abuse (Federal) 

3. Title IX (Federal) 

4. Faith’s Law (Illinois) 

5. SESAME Act (NC SESAME)  

6. Active Bystander (RAINN)  

7. Grooming, Trolling and Exploiting (REMS) 

8. Sexual Misconduct (Research by Jeglic and Winters referencing Shakeshaft’s definition of Educator Sexual Misconduct. 

9. The Problem Schools Are Ignoring (Harvard) 

10. A legal definition of misconduct (Indiana) 

11. A Prevention Guide for Parents (Enough Abuse) 

12. Red Flag Grooming Behaviors  

13. Interactive Maps of State Laws to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse (Enough Abuse) 

• Prevention Education Mandates 

• Screening School Employees to Prevent Educator Sexual Misconduct 

• Criminalizing Educator Sexual Misconduct 

• Criminalizing AI-Generated CSAM 

• State Task Forces to Address Child Sexual Abuse 

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Additional Action Steps: 

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1. Political advocacy for legislation around grooming and educator sexual misconduct 

2. State-specific training in current legislation and topics of licensure 

3. Training around ethics, risk, decision-making and establishing and maintaining professional boundaries 

4. Training specific to the Model Code of Ethics for Educators (MCEE) to support the mitigation of risk and defensible decision-making utilizing professionally appropriate and legal judgement.