Sexual Harassment & Abuse

Read more about how schools respond to unwelcome sexual comments, gestures, or actions
Custom illustration by Stuart Briers showing two identical male figures sitting in a chair with a computer dot matrix pointing to different parts of the body. The background depicts soundwaves, a play button, speaker icon, eye, and ear.
Stuart Briers for Education Week
Artificial Intelligence From Our Research Center Why Schools Need to Wake Up to the Threat of AI 'Deepfakes' and Bullying
Schools are underprepared to deal with a deluge of AI-created videos that harm the reputations of students and educators.
Olina Banerji, December 9, 2024
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11 min read
Small Business Administration administrator Linda McMahon attends a cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House on Aug. 16, 2018, in Washington.
Linda McMahon attends a meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House on Aug. 16, 2018, in Washington. McMahon, then head of the U.S. Small Business Administration, is President-elect Donald Trump's choice to lead the Education Department in his new administration.
Andrew Harnik/AP
Federal What's in the Lawsuit That Alleges Linda McMahon Failed to Protect Children
The lawsuit filed by former World Wrestling Entertainment workers alleges a culture of acceptance of sexual misconduct.
Mark Walsh, December 2, 2024
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8 min read
A photograph of Nex Benedict, a nonbinary teenager who died a day after a fight in a high school bathroom, is projected during a candlelight service at Point A Gallery, on Feb. 24, 2024, in Oklahoma City. Federal officials will investigate the Oklahoma school district where Benedict died, according to a letter sent by the U.S. Department of Education on March 1, 2024.
A photograph of Nex Benedict, a nonbinary teenager who died a day after a fight in a high school restroom, is projected during a candlelight service at Point A Gallery, on Feb. 24, in Oklahoma City. Federal officials determined the district was "deliberately indifferent to students' civil rights" based on its responses to reports of sexual harassment.
Nate Billings/The Oklahoman via AP
Federal Nex Benedict's District Was 'Indifferent to Students' Civil Rights,' Feds Find
Federal officials found an Oklahoma district responded inconsistently to sexual-harassment claims.
Caitlynn Peetz, November 13, 2024
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5 min read
Deepfake deep learning fake news generator modern internet technology concept
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Student Well-Being Students Are Sharing Sexually Explicit ‘Deepfakes.' Are Schools Prepared?
A report from the Center for Democracy & Technology explores tech-powered sexual harassment in schools.
Lauraine Langreo, September 26, 2024
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3 min read
A drowning hand reaching out of a cellphone for help
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Student Well-Being Online Sexual Exploitation Is a Growing Threat to Kids. What Schools Can Do
U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas talks about new resources to help schools tackle the problem.
Arianna Prothero, August 15, 2024
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4 min read
The United States Supreme Court is seen in Washington, D.C., on July 1, 2024.
The U.S. Supreme Court is seen in Washington, D.C., on July 1, 2024. The high court declined on July 2 to take up a case about whether Snapchat could be held partially liable for a teacher's sexual abuse of a student.
Aashish Kiphayet/NurPhoto via AP
Law & Courts Student Says Snapchat Enabled Teacher's Abuse. Supreme Court Won't Hear His Case
The high court, over a dissent by two justices, decline to review the scope of Section 230 liability protection for social media platforms.
Mark Walsh, July 2, 2024
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4 min read
AI Education concept in blue: A robot hand holding a pencil.
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Artificial Intelligence What a Proposed Ban on AI-Assisted ‘Deep Fakes’ Would Mean for Cyberbullying
Students who create AI-generated, intimate images of their classmates would be breaking federal law, if a new bill is enacted.
Alyson Klein, January 12, 2024
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2 min read
People hold signs during a protest at the state house in Trenton, N.J., Monday, Jan. 13, 2020. New Jersey lawmakers are set to vote Monday on legislation to eliminate most religious exemptions for vaccines for schoolchildren, as opponents crowd the statehouse grounds with flags and banners, including some reading "My Child, My Choice."
People hold signs during a protest at the state house in Trenton, N.J., on Jan. 13, 2020, opposing legislation to eliminate most religious exemptions for vaccines for schoolchildren. In North Carolina, a bill passed to protect parents' rights in schools caused uncertainty that led two districts to pause a child sex abuse prevention program out of fear it would violate the new law.
Seth Wenig/AP
States How a Parents' Rights Law Halted a Child Abuse Prevention Program
State laws that have passed as part of the parents' rights movement have caused confusion and uncertainty over what schools can teach.
Libby Stanford & Caitlynn Peetz, December 21, 2023
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7 min read
Illustration of hands holding a broken heart that is being held together by a bandaid
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Student Well-Being Educating Teens About Healthy Relationships: 3 Best Practices
Teens often don't even recognize when they're in an abusive relationship.
Caitlynn Peetz, May 12, 2023
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4 min read
Close crop of two teens from the chest down, sitting on a wall holding hands
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Student Well-Being Interactive Map: Does Your State Require Education on Teen Dating Violence?
School is a logical place for students to learn about healthy relationships, but state requirements for that kind of education vary widely.
Caitlynn Peetz & Laura Baker, May 11, 2023
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1 min read
High school couple holding hands from behind and walking down an empty school corridor
E+/Getty
Student Well-Being Teen Dating Violence Has Lifelong Consequences. Here's How Schools Can Help
Schools are uniquely poised to help students understand healthy relationship behavior and the signs of abuse.
Caitlynn Peetz, May 9, 2023
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5 min read
Photo illustration of gavel falling in front of a cascade of money.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + Getty Images
Budget & Finance More Districts Are Paying Big to Resolve Sexual Misconduct Claims
A new report says schools and colleges had to pay out 69 damage awards and settlements of $1 million or more last year.
Caitlynn Peetz, February 7, 2023
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5 min read
Image of safety cones and red flags.
Collage by Laura Baker/Education Week via Getty
School Climate & Safety How a Virginia District ‘Failed at Every Juncture’ to Prevent Sexual Assault
The grand jury’s devastating report is a must-read for district superintendents on how systems fall apart.
Caitlynn Peetz, December 9, 2022
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6 min read
Thunder storm sky over the United States Supreme Court building in Washington DC.
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Law & Courts Supreme Court Won't Take Up Cases Seen as Expanding Schools' Liability for Sexual Harassment
The court rejected appeals from a school district and university about when educational institutions may be sued for sexual harassment.
Mark Walsh, November 21, 2022
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4 min read
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