State auditor vows follow-up after 25 Investigates finds secrecy in school sexual abuse cases

BOSTON — The Massachusetts state auditor says she’s alarmed by 25 Investigates’ investigation into child sexual abuse cases in public schools – and she says she wants her office to follow up and get answers.

State Auditor Diana DiZoglio, a Democrat, told Anchor and Investigative Reporter Kerry Kavanaugh that her office is now reviewing several of the roadblocks and legal loopholes that 25 Investigates faced during our months-long investigation.

“We have a lot of concerns based on the reporting that Boston 25 did,” DiZoglio said. “We need to make sure that in state government we’re doing all that we can to protect children.”

In November, 25 investigates launched a series tracking cases of child sex abuse in public schools.

Through our own research, we uncovered at least – 150 students potentially abused by Massachusetts public school personnel in criminal and civil cases launched over the past two decades.

“What was really concerning to me is the incredible apparent lack of accountability in knowing even how many times these allegations have occurred,” DiZoglio said.

The state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education requires schools to report cases of students disciplined for sexual assault – but 25 Investigates found the state does not collect data on teachers, janitors, paraprofessionals, and other public school employees who sexually abuse students.

So, 25 Investigates sent out public records requests and surveys to hundreds of school districts and police agencies across Massachusetts to create our own database of educator sexual abuse cases.

Our requests asked for the total number of public school employees found to have sexually abused students in the past five years – as well as redacted records of abuse.

But the vast majority of school districts declined to provide even redacted records of documented findings of abuse.

That means it’s impossible to tally how often teachers and other schools are sexually abusing children – and it’s impossible to check whether the state is receiving and investigating all reports of sexual abuse.

“If we don’t know what’s happening, where it’s happening, who it’s happening to, how many times it’s occurred, how can we take appropriate actions to address these problems in these challenges that could really be hurting the children of the Commonwealth?” she said.

“The Office of the State Auditor is committed to working alongside advocates and following up on this investigative report to assist in getting access to that information,” DiZoglio said.

In a records request response to 25 Investigates, Boston Public Schools told 25 Investigates that it does not record instances of sexual assault.

Other districts who declined our records requests often cited a state law that keeps secret all reports of sexual and domestic violence.

That law says “all reports of rape and sexual assault or attempts to commit such offenses… shall not be public reports…”

Some districts said even releasing redacted sexual assault findings against school personnel could “undoubtedly result in personal embarrassment to the perpetrators” – as well as potentially victims.

The Department of Children and Families shared data showing it supported dozens of abuse allegations against public school personnel over the last five years. But DCF couldn’t tell us how many of the victims were students.

Eight years ago, DESE sent Boston 25 public records that broke down how many teacher license sanctions involved documented sexual misconduct.

But the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education told us this fall that it no longer collects that data.

A spokesperson for DESE said the department is now going through records, one by one, to determine which involves sexual abuse.

The spokesperson said that the process would take weeks.

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Marina Villeneuve reported this story while participating in the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism’s 2023 National Fellowship, which provided training, mentoring, and funding to support this project.

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If you are a victim of sexual abuse:

• Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline (800.656.HOPE, online.rainn.org y rainn.org/es)

To report child abuse in Massachusetts:

• Call the DCF Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline Toll-Free: (800) 792-5200

Read part 2 of our series on MA’s failure to pass laws to address child sexual abuse

Read part 3 of our series on warning signs of abuse

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