Staff Reports
The Los Angeles teachers union recently tried to play defense for teachers accused of sexual misconduct and managed to make the situation worse. Union representative Glenn Sacks argued for a blanket “presumption of innocence” in an op-ed, but his words sounded less like fairness and more like a dodge. When children’s safety is at stake, telling victims their claims are suspect and blaming everyone but the predators is not leadership — it’s a cover-up with a nicer font.
Blaming victims won’t erase a pattern
Claiming that low-income families or immigrants file false abuse claims for a payout is not just cruel — it’s reckless. Presumption of innocence exists for a reason, but it isn’t a license to ignore reports, delay investigations, or gaslight victims. Teachers who abuse trust deserve a fair process, yes, but so do children who report abuse. The union’s reflexive defense of adults over kids smells of protecting careers instead of protecting classrooms.
Union rules shouldn’t shield predators
Too often the same rules meant to protect hardworking teachers become shields for the guilty. Rigid tenure protections, long-drawn internal probes, and friendly school administrators can turn a serious allegation into a bureaucratic swamp. When investigations stall or settlements are quietly paid, parents lose faith. The fix is not pious words from union spokesmen — it’s real accountability: swift investigations, criminal referrals when warranted, and no special loopholes that keep predators in front of kids.
Practical steps that actually protect students
Start with transparency. Parents must be told what’s happening in their schools. Strengthen vetting and background checks. Enforce mandatory reporting without exception. Use outside investigators when staff or administration might be conflicted. And yes, unions should defend due process — but not at the cost of child safety. If the choice is between protecting a teacher’s job and protecting a child, pick the child every time.
The union can change course. It could stop reflexively shielding adults and start pushing reforms that make schools safer. Or it can keep defending the indefensible and watch public trust evaporate. If the teachers union wants to be seen as a protector, here’s a novel idea: protect the kids first, and careers second. That would be an actual act of service — and a lot less harmful than blaming the victims.
