The New York City Department of Education has one of the lowest completion rates for sexual harassment training among all city agencies.
With only 62 percent of DOE staffers completing the mandatory training course from September 2021 through August 2022, the agency's performance has been deemed "abysmal" and is a cause for concern.
This revelation came shortly after the agency settled a lawsuit filed by middle and high school students alleging sexual assault and harassment, including two students who claimed they were raped.
NYC Department of Education's low compliance
According to the New York Post, a report released by the Department of Citywide Administrative Services, the average completion rate for sexual harassment training among all agencies in New York City was 79 percent in the previous year, up from 74 percent.
Some departments had much lower completion rates, such as the Bronx County Public Administrator's Office at 14 percent and the Department of Correction at 72 percent.
The New York City Department of Education had the lowest completion rate, with only 62 percent of its staff taking the mandatory training course from September 2021 through August.
DOE spokesperson Jenna Lyle stated that education officials are working to remind workers to complete the training. However, the low completion rate is concerning, especially considering the Education Department settled a federal sexual assault and harassment lawsuit by four female middle and high school students of color with disabilities a year and a half ago.
The settlement included a payment of $700,000 to the students and a promise to strengthen rules around reporting and investigating sexual assaults.
As reported by Politico, Nelson Mar, senior staff attorney at Legal Services NYC, the nonprofit group that brought the case, noted that the Education Department staff have been under pressure, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, and have a lot of other professional development they need to complete.
However, Mar emphasized that this is not an excuse for the low completion rate and that failure to adequately address and respond to sexual harassment has been an ongoing issue.
Mar expressed disappointment in the numbers, given that the city has already been sued. He stated that one would expect the city to make more effort to prevent further litigation on this issue.
Furthermore, Lyle reaffirmed that ensuring safe and welcoming environments for students and staff is the department's top priority.
Completing the sexual harassment training
According to Impactly, New York City has passed legislation in recent years that requires sexual harassment training. As per Local Law 96 of 2018, employers with 15 or more employees in New York City are required to provide and conduct annual training for the prevention of sexual harassment.
The training is mandatory for all Education Department employees, including leadership, to ensure a safe and welcoming environment for students and staff.
With 142,000 regular employees in the department, completing the training is crucial to preventing sexual harassment and assault in the workplace.
The training covers ways to identify, prevent, and address sexual harassment in the workplace, including how to report incidents of harassment and assault.
Completing the training is vital for compliance with the law and can help DOE staffers protect the students of NYC public schools from harassment.
The training provides employees with the knowledge and skills necessary to identify, prevent, and respond to sexual harassment in the workplace.
This is particularly important for educators and other staff members who interact with students regularly, as they are responsible for creating a safe and secure environment for all students.
