School misconduct cases relatively rare
Reports of teachers involved in sexual misconduct with their students nearly always make headlines, but in truth, those cases are rare, state education officials say.
There are 16 open cases of teacher misconduct in Idaho, according to the state Department of Education. Of those, six involve sexual contact with a student or are sexual in nature. There are almost 15,000 teachers in Idaho.
In Washington, fewer than 10 percent of the 117 code-of-conduct violations currently under investigation by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction involve sexual misconduct, said Charles Schreck, director of the agency’s office of profession practices.
Still, sexual misconduct with students is the No. 1 reason Washington teaching certificates are permanently revoked, Schreck said.
The frequency of reported sexual violations has increased over the years, but that’s mostly because of a growing number of students – a 20 percent increase statewide in Washington since 1990 – and increased awareness of the issue among school staff, students and parents, according to OSPI.
Jerry Painter, an attorney for the 76,000-member Washington Education Association, has spent the past 15 years educating teachers about sexual misconduct.
There’s more reporting of colleagues’ behavior by teachers and school districts than 15 years ago, Painter said. “Most of the reporting is serious, responsible reporting but at the same time there’s also the ‘cover your rear-end’ reporting – ‘Let somebody else sort this out. I’m not going to be the headline in The Spokesman-Review next week.’ “
Painter said that about a third of the cases brought against Washington Education Association members he represents involve false allegations of sexual misconduct. The motive may be revenge, power or attention. Most of the false allegations occur when a student obsesses over a teacher, coach or counselor, he said.
“That person becomes their light, the only person in the world,” Painter said. “That’s the type of situation where the student can be easily hurt, and once they’re hurt they just strike out.”
To combat false allegations, schools train educators: Touching a student carries a risk. Don’t have repeated one-to-one contact with a student. Don’t engage in social activities with a student. Don’t hire a student as a baby sitter or meet one for coffee. Never give a student a ride in your car alone. Don’t give a student gifts or write cards, notes or letters.
By making expectations explicit and public, schools help educators understand their own responsibility in reporting behavior that doesn’t conform to those expectations.
“I tell them if they’re concerned, make the report,” Painter said. “Even if you have a false report, if the child isn’t at risk, there’s no harm done. If you’re going to err, err on the side of the child.”
Not every teacher is innocent.
Painter said that about a third of those accused of sexual misconduct are “just slimeballs” who don’t belong in a school. “They’re not willing to abide by any kind of boundaries,” he said.
The remaining third of educators facing sexual misconduct allegations just don’t get it, Painter said. “They’re usually the middle-aged person who grew up and started teaching in a totally different world. They haven’t adapted for the new world.
“They get themselves in trouble, but once they sit through a presentation, they’re safe to put back in the classroom,” he said.