Throughout the first nine months of this year, about 270 public school teachers were arrested for child sex-related crimes in the United States. These crimes ranged from grooming to rape of minors.
According to research by Fox News Digital, between January 1 and September 30, at least 269 educators were detained, or about one every day.
There were 269 educators in total: 4 principals, 2 assistant principals, 226 classroom teachers, 20 aids, and 17 subs.
Around 199 (or 74%) of the total arrests were for allegedly perpetrated offenses against students.
The research examined weekly news items from throughout the country that detailed the arrests of K-12 school administrators, assistant principals, teachers, substitute teachers, and teacher aides for child sex-related offenses. Unreported arrests were not included in the study, therefore the actual number is likely greater.
In addition, more than 80% of the arrests involved males in ‘authority positions’.
Christopher Rufo, a senior scholar at the Manhattan Institute, said in a statement to Fox News Digital that the number of teachers detained for child sex abuse is “only the tip of the iceberg” similar to how the Catholic Church fared before it was widely publicized and investigated in the early 2000s. From kindergarten through high school, about 10% of public school kids experience physical abuse, according to the best available scholarly studies provided by the Department of Education.
According to Fox News Digital’s most recent report, many recent arrests entail extremely serious accusations.
Sexual predators often put themselves in a supervisory position so that they have easy access to victims, according to Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson, whose office is investigating Eugene Pratt, 57, a former principal, elementary school teacher, and coach who taught at-risk youth in multiple Michigan public schools. In August, Pratt was charged with a felony for criminal sexual behavior. Over the course of his decades-long teaching career, at least 15 boys and young men are said to have been sexually assaulted by him.
Baltimore City Public School self-defense instructor Stephen Kenion, 56, was arrested last month on charges of sexual abuse with many juveniles, including an 8-year-old student, and impregnating a 14-year-old former student. According to CBS News, he has been accused of multiple sex crimes, including twisted practices, second-degree rape, numerous incidents of second-degree assault, and more.
However, the Education Department’s report found that state laws prohibiting the practice vary widely; while all states mandate that prospective employers conduct criminal background checks on educators and the majority (46) mandate fingerprinting, only 19 mandate that employers request information from an applicant’s current and previous employers.
Also, only 14 states mandate that prospective employers verify an applicant’s legal right to work or be certified, and only 11 mandate that applicants reveal any investigations or disciplinary procedures they may have faced for sexual abuse or misbehavior.
In 2004, the Department of Education published a report estimating that 9.6 percent of children experience sexual misconduct at the hands of a teacher.
