CHELTENHAM, Pa. – The United States Department of Education announced Friday that Cheltenham School District is one of 20 districts nationwide selected for review as part of a new initiative to protect students from adult sexual predators in schools.
What we know:
The Department of Education said it will investigate whether selected districts, including Cheltenham, have proper procedures to collect, report, and investigate allegations of employee sexual harassment and abuse. The review is based on data from the 2023–2024 school year.
The initiative aims to ensure that school districts follow legal requirements and respond appropriately to allegations involving adults in positions of authority, according to the press release.
Why you should care:
Cheltenham School District stated it has multiple board policies in place to prevent and address sexual harassment and abuse, including policies on nondiscrimination, boundaries with students, child abuse, and educator misconduct. The district says all allegations would be reported to law enforcement and ChildLine as required.
“To be clear, the district is not aware of any instances where allegations of sexual assault or abuse by district employees have not been properly investigated and handled —for the 2023-2024 school year or any other year,” Dr. Brian W. Scriven, superintendent of schools, said.
Cheltenham officials said they will fully cooperate with the Office for Civil Rights and share their internal procedures to keep students safe. The district emphasized its commitment to student safety and promised to keep the community informed as more information becomes available.
What we don’t know:
It is not yet clear which specific aspects of Cheltenham’s policies or practices will be reviewed, what the timeline for the investigation will be, or what potential outcomes could result from the Department of Education’s review.
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