DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — The DeKalb County School District has announced it is one of 20 school districts that received a federal civil rights investigation letter from the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights.
The agency is investigating how the districts handled reports of sexual misconduct by teachers.
The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and the Trump administration launched an initiative on July 10 to investigate school districts whose 2023-24 Civil Rights Data Collection submissions had responses that “suggest that districts might not be addressing staff-on-student sexual misconduct appropriately.”
“The investigations will determine if the districts have appropriate policies and procedures in place to ensure accurate data collection and reporting of these incidents occurs and if their handling of allegations of sexual harassment, including sexual assault by district employees, complies with federal law,” the July 10 OCR release stated.
The Department of Education’s OCR issued this letter to the district on July 10.
A July 14 ProPublica article contained an email announcing all 20 districts, including three from Georgia, being investigated as part of the Department of Education’s crackdown on teacher sexual misconduct.
Richmond County and Savannah-Chatham County districts were also on the list.
DeKalb Schools Interim Superintendent Norman Sauce released a statement on the evening of July 15 concerning the investigation and said the district took every allegation involving student safety seriously and is reported, reviewed and addressed with federal and state laws and board policy.
Sauce also said that OCR’s letter stated the initiation of the investigation is not evidence of a violation and indicated it would conduct a neutral review. He also stated that student and personnel matters are confidential and the district cannot comment on specific allegations or active investigations.
Below is the full statement from Interim Superintendent Norman Sauce sent to staff, families and media outlets:
The safety and well-being of every student is the DeKalb County School District’s (DCSD) highest priority. Protecting students is our most important responsibility. Every allegation involving student safety is taken seriously, reported as required by law, reviewed through established processes, and addressed promptly in accordance with federal and state law, Board policy, and District procedures.
The District has received a letter from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) notifying DCSD of a directed investigation. According to OCR, the review will examine the District’s reporting of certain 2023–24 Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) information and whether its policies, procedures, and handling of allegations involving sexual harassment and sexual assault are consistent with Title IX requirements.
OCR’s letter also states that the initiation of an investigation is not evidence of a violation of federal civil rights laws or regulations. OCR has indicated it will conduct a neutral review to determine compliance.
DCSD expects every employee to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and comply with Georgia’s mandatory reporting laws and Board policy. Allegations involving suspected child abuse or potential criminal conduct are reported to the appropriate law enforcement and child protection agencies. The District fully cooperates with law enforcement, child welfare officials, and all external investigations.
Because student and personnel matters are confidential, the District cannot comment on specific allegations or active investigations.
What our students, families, staff, and community should know is this: Student safety is not negotiable. Protecting every student entrusted to our care is our highest responsibility. It is the foundation of public trust, and we will never compromise our commitment to providing safe schools, holding individuals accountable, and complying fully with all applicable state and federal laws.
— Superintendent Norman Sauce
This story was provided by WABE media partner Decaturish.
