An Associated Press investigation into teacher sexual abuse in the U.S. found more than 2,500 educators have been accused of misconduct. Young people were the victims in 1,800 of the cases — 80 percent of them students.
Kansas State University Professor Bob Shoop has served as an expert witness in dozens of sex abuse cases and said it’s not a new phenomenon.
“I’ve been writing about this since 1984, and consistently most studies have indicated that between 5 and 10 percent of the students in a high-school setting have had an inappropriate relationship with an adult," he told Family News in Focus.
Most of the abuse never gets reported. Jeff Kuhner, communications director for the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, said there are many reasons why, but underneath is a bureaucracy looking out for its own.
“You have public school unions who are very deeply entrenched, who are more interested in protecting the interests of their members and teachers than they are in serving students," he said.
The National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification operates a voluntary database to track offenders. Spokesman Roy Einreinhofer said the list is long.
“The clearinghouse contains around 37,000 names," he said, "and that increases at a rate of about 2,500 or so a year.”
