Boston schools grudgingly release some sexual misconduct data

NEWLY RELEASED DATA indicate there were 1,633 substantiated cases of sexual misconduct, bullying, and biased-based incidents that occurred at Boston Public Schools over the previous two school years. 

Another 1,871 cases were investigated but could not be substantiated. 

The numbers, which were released grudgingly after a six-month public records battle, begin to paint a picture of how prevalent these problems are in the Boston schools.

The numbers by themselves, however, don’t tell the full story. There are many types of sexual misconduct, bullying, and bias-based incidents. Some are far more serious than others. But Boston school officials are refusing to release details about the individual incidents with identifying information redacted, despite being ordered to do so by the state supervisor of public records.

Based on a review of data covering the two school years from the Boston schools and the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, more than a quarter of the sexual misconduct incidents and a third of the bullying incidents resulted in the student being removed from the classroom, the most serious form of punishment.  

The data also indicate the bulk of students removed from the classroom are Black and Hispanic – 81 percent of those removed for sexual misconduct and 88 percent for bullying. 

Despite multiple inquiries to Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, Boston Public Schools Superintendent Mary Skipper, and two other high-ranking officials in the school department, no one from the city would agree to talk about the numbers.

According to Boston Public Schools policy, sexual misconduct can be physical, oral, or written and encompasses a wide range of offenses, including unwanted physical contact, inappropriate comments, unwanted sexting, sexual gesturing, showing suggestive images and objects, and requests for sexual favors. 

There were 738 substantiated cases of student-on-student sexual misconduct over the past two school years (2021-2022 and 2022-2023), with a 34 percent increase between the two years, according to data obtained from the school system’s Office of Equity.  There were an additional 806 allegations of this type of behavior that could not be substantiated. 

For the same time period, there were 11 substantiated instances of employee-on-student sexual misconduct — nine in the 2021-2022 school year and two in 2022-2023.  An additional 14 allegations of this type of behavior could not be substantiated. 

The numbers are actually higher. In releasing the data, school officials said summary forms for some sexual misconduct incidents were not counted —32 percentof the incidents in 2021-2022 and 25 percent in 2022-2023.  School officials offered no explanation, but in the past have said some incidents were handled at the school level and full paperwork was never submitted to the central office.

Also, research reveals that cases often go unreported. “It would be the rare case to find a school system where underreporting of sexual misconduct does not exist,” Dr. Billie-Jo Grant, a researcher and trainer specializing in sexual misconduct prevention in public schools, said in a statement.

According to school policy, bullying can include causing physical or emotional harm, damaging a person’s property, creating a hostile environment, and infringing on an individual’s rights. 

Over the past two school years there were 404 substantiated cases of student-on-student bullying, with a 42 percent increase between the two school years, according to the data obtained from the school system’s Succeed Boston program.  There were an additional 740 allegations of bullying that could not be substantiated.  

According to school policy, biased-based conduct includes speaking derisively to or about a student or parent because of factors such as race, ethnicity, religion, gender, nationality, and age; refusing to allow a student to participate in an activity because of any of these factors in the absence of a legitimate nondiscriminatory reason; and disciplining a student more frequently or more harshly because of any of these factors. 

Over the previous two school years there were 459 cases of substantiated student-on-student bias-based behavior, with a 51 percent increase between the two years, according to data obtained from the Office of Equity.  There were an additional 264 cases of this type of behavior that went unsubstantiated. 

For the same time span, there were 21 substantiated instances of employee-on-student biased-based behavior, 8 occurring in school year 2021-2022 and 13 in 2022-2023.  There were an additional 47 allegations of this type of behavior that could not be substantiated. 

While officials have refused to release more detailed information on sexual misconduct, bullying, and bias-based incidents in Boston schools, a lawsuit against the city filed by two former students of the now-defunct Mission Hill K-8 Pilot School suggests the problem can sometimes be severe. 

According to the lawsuit, one of the former students, identified by the pseudonym Casey Rose, alleged she was harassed repeatedly on school grounds orally and physically.  The lawsuit said students urinated in her cubby, punched her in the stomach and head, and exposed themselves in front of her. 

Rose’s mother eventually removed her from the Mission Hill School and moved the family to a suburban school district.

In a motion to dismiss the complaint, city officials didn’t deny the bullying and sexual misconduct happened, but said the city cannot be held responsible for what happens at a pilot school because it is autonomous.

Officials with Boston Public Schools have refused to release more detailed records about sexual misconduct, bullying, and bias-related incidents, claiming that it would violate the privacy of those involved. 

Manza Arthur, the supervisor of public records in Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin’s office, examined a sampling of the school system’s incident reports in unredacted form in April. She then ordered school officials “to review the records, redact where necessary, and provide the responsive records in a manner consistent with the Public Records Law, its regulations and this order within 10 business days.” 

School officials refused to comply.  

Arthur does not have the legal authority to enforce her orders.  Instead, she would have to refer the matter to Attorney General Andrea Campbell, which Arthur has refused to do. Arthur, Galvin’s general counsel, and Galvin himself refused to explain why. 

The Pioneer Institute’s Public Interest Law Center in Boston is currently seeking the information in Superior Court.  

Grant, the researcher and trainer specializing in sexual misconduct prevention in public schools, said she is concerned about the Boston school system’s penchant for keeping information on sexual misconduct private.

“Reports of harassment and abuse should not be kept a secret from students, parents, and the community,” she said in an email. “Instead of shielding our educational institutions from these events, we should address them head on and work to provide a safe environment for all students.” 

Amber Nesbitt, deputy inspector general of the Sexual Allegations Unit that investigates sexual misconduct in Chicago public schools, agrees. “Sharing information about these cases increases transparency and awareness,” she said in an email.  “It also allows members of the public to understand . . . the types of misconduct we uncover, which can range from less severe boundary-crossing misconduct up to criminal acts.”