Trump's Education Department Claims It's Focused on Educator Sexual Misconduct. Is It Real Commitment or Political Messaging?

July 18, 2026 - 20:51

The Department of Education sent a Dear Colleague Letter to schools on July 10, warning them that they could lose federal money if they do not protect students from sexual misconduct by employees. A press release that came with the letter said the Office for Civil Rights will start 20 directed investigations into school districts. These districts were chosen because their Civil Rights Data Collection reports suggest they may have handled accusations of staff sexual misconduct poorly.

Nobody argues that educator sexual misconduct is not a serious problem that needs federal action. The real question is why the Education Department is putting so much energy into staff-on-student misconduct while giving much less attention to peer sexual harassment and assault. Those problems happen much more often.

One reason might be that going after educator sexual misconduct lets the department show clear action on an issue that does not cause political fights. It also helps rebuild public trust that the department cares about keeping students safe.

The letter came after 112 groups that work on gender equity, survivors' advocates, and Senator Bernie Sanders criticized the administration. They pointed to how the administration has taken apart the Office for Civil Rights and moved away from looking into many kinds of sex discrimination. Critics say the administration has used Title IX more and more to push political goals. They point to investigations into diversity programs and transgender students playing girls' sports. At the same time, the department has cut back on enforcing other areas of sex discrimination.