Frankfort, Ky. – The Kentucky Association of School Administrators (KASA) is taking a clear and unequivocal stand: grooming and sexual abuse of students will not be tolerated in Kentucky’s public schools. Protecting children is not simply a policy priority; it is a moral obligation and a matter of public trust.
KASA’s members operate under a longstanding Code of Ethics that requires administrators to uphold the highest standards of integrity in all interactions with students and to honor the public trust of their position above any personal or social reward. The public entrusts the well-being of its children to school leaders each day. That trust must never be violated.
Sexual abuse of children remains a sobering national reality. According to data compiled by RAINN, nearly every minute, someone in the United States is sexually assaulted. Every nine minutes, that victim is a child. From 2009–2013, an average of 63,000 children per year were victims of substantiated sexual abuse, and 93% of victims under the age of 18 knew their perpetrator.
Abuse most often occurs at the hands of someone a child trusts, an adult with access, authority, or influence. Grooming behaviors exploit that trust, gradually breaking down boundaries and creating secrecy and manipulation that can make misconduct difficult to detect without proper vigilance and training. While child abuse is a complex issue that spans many environments, educational settings must remain vigilant because trust relationships exist there as well.
Public schools must be safe havens, places where students are protected, believed, and supported from preschool through graduation. While that is the mission of Kentucky’s public schools, we acknowledge the painful reality that trust has, at times, been broken. Any instance of grooming or abuse is one too many, and consequences for any such violation must be swift and unequivocal.
KASA is committed to a sustained, three-tiered approach to confront and prevent grooming in Kentucky’s public schools:
- Raise awareness of grooming behaviors and warning signs.
- Integrate targeted professional learning for school leaders.
- Advocate for public policy that strengthens prevention, reporting, and accountability.
In upcoming professional development events, including the Education Law & Finance Conference and the Annual Leadership Institute, this approach will be embedded into leadership training. School leaders will be better equipped to recognize warning signs, respond appropriately, ensure compliance with mandatory reporting laws, and uphold the highest standards of accountability.
Above all, we affirm our unwavering commitment to believing and supporting victims. Kentucky’s school leaders understand that integrity is not theoretical — it is demonstrated in action. As trusted leaders in our schools and districts, we are committed to confronting this issue directly, removing and penalizing those who violate their positions of trust, and continuing to work to ensure our schools remain places of safety, dignity, and care for every student.
About KASA:
KASA is the largest school administrator group in Kentucky, representing more than 3,300 education leaders from across the commonwealth. Formed in 1969, KASA connects education leaders to policymakers, legislators, and other interest groups and provides numerous benefits to Kentucky’s school administrators.
