1) Sexual harassment of students by teachers is prevalent, with 38% of sexually harassed students reporting the abuse was by a teacher. Sexual harassment includes quid pro quo harassment and creating a hostile environment. 2) Title IX and court cases like Franklin v. Gwinnett County have established protections and allowed monetary damages for students sexually harassed by teachers. 3) Prominent cases like Mary Kay Latourneau and Debra Lafave received media attention and resulted in criminal charges for teachers who had sexual relationships with students. Clear policies and teacher training are needed to prevent further abuse.

1. Protecting Our Children: Sexual Harassment of Students by Teachers in the Public School Setting William Allan Kritsonis, PhD

3. Prevalence (con’t) In 2004, The U.S. Department of Education reported that almost 10% of public school students report having been the target of some sort of sexual harassment by a school employee. Actually, according to this report, sexual abuse by teachers is 100 times more frequent than sexual abuse by priests.