A troubling report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that individuals with a history of sexual misconduct were working in some neighborhood schools. Even more concerning, some were able to obtain new teaching or staff positions after behaving inappropriately toward children in other school districts. The report identified numerous breakdowns in hiring practices that allowed these individuals back into schools because of incomplete background checks, poor record sharing, and administrative loopholes.
More than a decade later, the issue remains an important school safety concern. While states have strengthened hiring laws and school districts have improved screening procedures, experts agree that vigilance remains essential. Schools today are expected to conduct far more comprehensive background investigations than they did when the original GAO report was released, but inconsistencies between states and districts still exist.
Parents who want to better understand educator screening practices can also read Public School Review's guide to Should Schools Conduct Background Checks on Teachers?.
The GAO Report
The original report released by the U.S. Government Accountability Office examined 15 case studies involving public schools that employed individuals with troubling histories. According to the investigation, 11 of the employees had previously engaged in inappropriate sexual conduct involving children. In six of those cases, the individuals went on to abuse children again after obtaining employment in another school district.
The report was prepared in response to growing concerns about weaknesses in school hiring practices and followed earlier federal research highlighting educator sexual misconduct as an underreported problem. The GAO compared national sex offender registry information with employment records from multiple states and reviewed public records, court documents, and interviews involving misconduct cases spanning several years.
Since then, Congress has enacted additional safeguards. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) includes provisions commonly known as "Pass the Trash," requiring states to prohibit districts from assisting employees accused or convicted of sexual misconduct in obtaining employment elsewhere through misleading recommendations or by withholding relevant employment information. While implementation varies by state, these provisions have strengthened accountability compared with the period covered by the original GAO investigation.
This video from Action News lays out the issue facing schools.
What the Report Found
Among the cases highlighted by the GAO were several examples of serious failures in hiring and oversight.
An Ohio teacher was permitted to resign after exhibiting inappropriate behavior toward female students. Rather than documenting the misconduct, the superintendent provided a favorable letter of recommendation that helped the teacher secure another position in a nearby school district. While working there, he was later convicted of sexual battery involving a sixth-grade student.
In another case, an Arizona school district hired a teacher without completing a thorough criminal background investigation. The teacher had previously been convicted of sexually abusing a minor and later engaged in sexual contact with another student, resulting in another criminal conviction.
The report also described a Texas teacher whose teaching license had been revoked because of inappropriate sexual behavior. After moving to Louisiana, the teacher was hired by another district that failed to conduct a complete background check. Authorities later sought the teacher's arrest following allegations involving inappropriate sexual communications with a student.
These cases demonstrated how incomplete background investigations, poor communication between districts, and inconsistent reporting procedures could allow individuals with documented histories of misconduct to continue working with children.
This video from Inside Edition gives an example of the problem facing schools when they hire sex offenders.
Representative George Miller, then chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, described the findings as evidence of serious failures in school hiring systems. Although the report examined cases from earlier years, many of its recommendations continue to influence school safety policies today.
Modern hiring practices have improved considerably. Most states now require fingerprint-based criminal history checks through state law enforcement agencies and the FBI before teachers receive certification or employment. Organizations such as the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC) also operate the Educator Identification Clearinghouse, which helps participating states share information about educator discipline and license sanctions across state lines. Even so, education experts continue to recommend stronger interstate information sharing and consistent enforcement to prevent offenders from moving between districts or states unnoticed.
This video discusses how schools are strengthening hiring practices and protecting students through improved background checks and educator screening.
Conclusion
Although school districts have made significant progress in strengthening hiring practices and background checks since the original GAO report, protecting students requires ongoing vigilance. Comprehensive screening, thorough reference checks, interstate information sharing, and prompt reporting of misconduct all play essential roles in preventing individuals with a history of sexual misconduct from returning to the classroom. By maintaining strong hiring standards and fostering a culture of accountability, public schools can better safeguard students and preserve the trust families place in their schools.
