CPS: Sexual misconduct cases down in e-learning

Officials disclose more misbehavior has moved online

Since remote learning began, both Chicago Public Schools offices that investigate sexual misconduct have received fewer complaints than usual, with online behavior accounting for a bigger share of the cases, according to the district’s inspector general and Office of Student Protections.

“The complaints have slowed down. They certainly have not stopped,” said Amber Nesbitt, chief investigator for the OIG unit that handles cases involving CPS- affiliated adults accused of sexual misconduct with students.

“The types of complaints that we have been seeing since remote instruction began have certainly changed. We are receiving many more complaints involving Google Classroom conduct anddifferent online interactions between students and staff members,” Nesbitt said.

The majority of complaints continue to fall under the category of “concerning/ other,” which includes conduct that makes a student feel uncomfortable but “is not necessarily sexual on its face,” Nesbitt said. For all categories, about 1.6 reports per school day came into the office this September.

Investigators were concerned to see the number of “sexual acts” allegations during July through September increased from three to six, though three of those cases stem from rumors on social media and others relate topast misconduct, Nesbitt said. Four other cases involve sexual electronic communication, and three allege sexual comments made in person.

“Several recent complaints relate to online instruction, but most involve allegations of past misconduct,” according toNesbitt’s presentation to the Board of Education onWednesday.

The inspector general is still keeping an eye on certain job categories, including coaches and custodians, “for potential trends of concern.” Teachers have faced themost allegations of any group this school year, with 15, followedby security guards with 10.

Between July 1 and Sept. 30, the inspector general opened 50 sexual misconduct cases, down from 75 during the same period last year. The decrease can likely be attributed to the closure of school buildings during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the inspector general’s office. Of cases closed during that same time frame, 14 were ruled unsubstantiated and seven were referred to another agency for further investigation.

Casesmaybesubstantiated when the evidence proves a violation of CPS policies or rules, regardless of the grounds on which the initial complaintwas made.

The Chicago Police Department has opened investigations into 18 of the inspector general’s cases and has made one arrest since July, of a teacher charged with sexually assaulting a student last school year, according to the OIG’s report.

The inspector general is still actively investigating 344 sexual allegation cases and wrapping up another 95. Investigators have closed 77 cases since they startedworking remotely in March, and have kept conducting interviews, sending subpoenas and writing reports.

As of Sept. 30, 93 CPS employees, including 46 teachers, were removed from their schools, and 16 substitute teachers were blocked pending investigations into allegations of misconduct toward students, according to the inspector general’s office. Another 14 CPS staff members remain pulled after the inspector general closed or referred their cases; some are now being investigated for other allegations.

Since July 1, a total of six pulled or blocked adults were reinstated, while 23 people under investigation by the inspector general quit, retired or were fired, according to the inspector general.

Similar trends have occurredwithstudent-on-student cases, which are investigated by the Office of Student Protections and Title IX.

After schools closed March 17, the volume of new weekly cases reported to the OSP fell about 90% compared with the firstpart of the semester. While all case types have been down since remote learning began, student-on-student allegations have also fallen as a proportion of the total, now making up about twothirds of cases, according to the OSP.

Of 279 sexual misconduct cases opened between the start of remote learning and the end of September, 63% were student-on-student, 25% were CPS adulton-student, 7% were student-on-adult and 5% were non-CPS adult-on-student, according to the OSP.

The weekly case numbers have been higher this fall than during the remote part of the spring, but are still lower than last fall.

“As students began interacting virtually instead of in-person, (reports of ) sexual electronic communication more than doubled as a proportion of total cases,” while reports of inappropriate touching fell dramatically, according to the OSP presentation.

From July through Sept. 30, the OSP took an average of 30 cases per five school days, including a total 23 reports of sexual electronic communication. During remote learning in the spring, there were 56 reports of sexual electronic communication and 14 of inappropriate touching; 114 electronic communication and 168 inappropriate touching during the in-person part of the second semester; and 264 electronic communication and 335 inappropriate touching cases during first semester last year.

Black students are the most disproportionately affected, comprising 44% of students reporting sexual allegations to the OSP though only 36% of the student population. Students in special education programs are also disproportionately affected, accounting for 21% of cases yet only 15% of enrollment.