Department of Education Launches Title IX Investigation Into LAUSD for Union Deal That Shields Alleged Sexual Predators From Termination

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights has launched a directed Title IX investigation into the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), targeting a controversial policy negotiated with the United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) that critics say prioritizes protecting teachers credibly accused of sexual misconduct over the safety of students. 

The probe, announced on Tuesday, examines whether LAUSD’s handling of allegations–including sexual harassment, assault, romantic relationships with students, creation or use of child pornography, unnecessary physical contact, and failure to report suspected child abuse–violates federal law. Under the union agreement, such teachers are automatically reassigned to another school rather than terminated or immediately removed from student-facing roles during investigations. 

Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Kimberly Richey pulled no punches: “Under Title IX, schools must respond appropriately and address claims of sexual misconduct, including sexual harassment and assault, in a timely manner, but the District seems to be putting the continued employment of sexual predators above the safety of students. It is unconscionable that the District would simply ignore Title IX’s procedural requirements to protect teachers who cause life-changing harm to their kids. The Trump Administration will always fight to uphold the law, protect the safety of all students, and restore common sense to our schools.” 

Education Secretary Linda McMahon amplified the announcement on X, issuing a scathing rebuke of teachers unions nationwide: “Teachers unions are advocating to keep children out of schools for protests, using dues to prop up political agendas, and negotiating protections for child abusers. The unions are not fighting for students or teachers – they are fighting to protect their own power.” 

Teachers unions are advocating to keep children out of schools for protests, using dues to prop up political agendas, and negotiating protections for child abusers.

The unions are not fighting for students or teachers – they are fighting to protect their own power. https://t.co/q8NUDLRZ6Z

— Secretary Linda McMahon (@EDSecMcMahon) May 6, 2026

The investigation revives the Department’s 2020 National Initiative on sexual assault in K-12 schools, launched during President Trump’s first term, which included compliance reviews and enhanced data collection on incidents involving school personnel. 

This latest federal action comes as no surprise to California Globe readers. For years, the Globe has documented LAUSD’s pattern of shielding predators while saddling taxpayers with enormous costs. In February 2026, we reported that LAUSD was borrowing another $250 million in “judgment obligation bonds” to settle sexual misconduct claims—on top of $500 million authorized just months earlier. Prior to expanded statutes like AB 218, the district had already paid out more than $372 million in judgments and settlements between 2012 and 2024. Despite official policies calling for immediate termination in certain sex offense cases, repeated failures in screening, oversight, and removal have left students vulnerable. 

The district’s budget crisis has only worsened. As the Globe reported, student attendance has plummeted by as much as 40% in some years, yet personnel costs, driven heavily by union contracts, consume roughly 90% of LAUSD’s $18.8 billion budget. Lavish spending on bureaucracy and consultants continues even as students suffer. 

The UTLA-LAUSD agreement at the heart of the new Title IX probe is publicly available (see below) and underscores the union’s influence over personnel decisions. 

Parents and taxpayers have every reason to demand accountability. As McMahon and the Trump Administration make clear, the era of unions negotiating sweetheart deals that endanger children while protecting their own power is coming to an end. 

The California Globe will continue to monitor this Title IX investigation and its implications for LAUSD students and California taxpayers.