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The Tulare City School District is one of 20 districts across 15 states now under investigation by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, part of a broader federal push announced this month to scrutinize how public schools handle allegations of sexual misconduct by employees.
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The TK-8 district serves about 10,000 students in Tulare County. It drew federal attention when its 2023-24 Civil Rights Data Collection submissions raised concerns that the district “might not be addressing” staff sexual misconduct appropriately, according to the U.S. Department of Education. The Wilsona School District in Los Angeles County is the only other California district on the federal list.
The scope of the inquiry remains unclear. Federal officials have not disclosed how many incidents are under review, and it is not yet known whether the district’s data submissions for other school years were handled appropriately or whether the reports in question were limited to 2023-24.
What the federal review will examine
The Office for Civil Rights said the investigations will focus on whether districts’ current policies and procedures are adequate “to ensure accurate data collection and reporting of these incidents occurs and if their handling of allegations of sexual harassment, including sexual assault by district employees, complies with federal law.”
The review falls under a national K-12 initiative the department launched in July aimed at protecting students from sexual predators in schools. In a July 10 news release, the department said, “Credible reports of sexual abuse and harassment by adults in positions of authority” have gone uninvestigated in some districts, and that employees suspected of misconduct have in some cases been transferred to new schools or roles rather than removed.
“Our schools must protect America’s children. Parents should never have to wonder whether their kids’ school employs and protects sexual predators,” U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a statement. McMahon said the initiative will hold school districts accountable.
The Trump administration has issued guidance reminding districts that receive federal funding of their legal obligations to respond to sexual misconduct under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.
Tulare district’s response
In a statement to The Fresno Bee on July 15, Tulare City School District officials said the district “takes all reports of employee misconduct seriously. When the district learns of potential misconduct of an employee, it investigates the matter in accordance with district policies, the law, and works closely with the appropriate authorities.”
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The district did not disclose how many reports of employee misconduct it received during the year the Office for Civil Rights is examining.
Officials said student safety, success and well-being remain the district’s top priority, and that the district will cooperate with federal investigators.
“The district is committed to providing a safe learning environment for our students,” the statement said.
The investigation places Tulare City Schools among a small group of districts nationally — and one of two in California — facing federal scrutiny as the Department of Education signals a more assertive posture on Title IX enforcement in K-12 schools.
This report was produced with the assistance of a proprietary tool powered by artificial intelligence based on our own originally reported, written and published content. Before publishing, journalists reviewed this content in compliance with McClatchy Media’s AI policy.
This story was originally published July 27, 2026 at 2:42 PM with the headline “Federal civil rights probe targets Tulare school district over misconduct. What to know.”
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