Oklahoma has taken significant steps towards ensuring the safety of its students by passing a new law aimed at addressing the issue of abusive school employees hopping from district to district. The legislation, signed into effect on November 1, requires schools to submit findings of any investigation into teacher or superintendent accused of student abuse, even if the teacher resigns during the investigation.

According to Oklahoma Rep. Derrick Hildebrant, who sponsored the bill along with state Sen. Ally Seifried, this new law fills a critical gap in the current system. “They are addressing these cases on the fourth and fifth school that these perpetrators are at, instead of the first or second, because they have been able to resign and move from school to school,” said Hildebrant.

The new law not only holds teachers and administrators accountable but also supports personnel such as coaches, bus drivers, janitors, and school-resource officers. Currently, support personnel do not have certifications, making it difficult for them to be held accountable for their actions.

Kyla Skeens, a mother who witnessed her son being abused by an employee of Duncan Public Schools, is among those praising the law’s passage. Her son, Arlo, was six years old when he was subjected to physical abuse by a school counselor at Duncan schools. The incident occurred in 2024, but it wasn’t until Skeens and other advocates notified the Oklahoma State Department of Education that an investigation began.

Skeens said she was shocked to learn that the school employee was allowed to resign from her job, which ended the school investigation and allowed the woman to maintain her teaching license. The incident highlighted the need for better accountability measures in schools.

“The original intent was to not only hold teachers and administrators accountable, but also support personnel,” said Hildebrant. “Your coaches and bus drivers and janitors and school-resource officers—everybody. The challenge was that teachers and administrators have certifications. You could hold them accountable relative to their certifications. Support personnel did not.”

In the 2026 session, Hildebrant plans to file legislation addressing other loopholes in the current system.

Recent incidents have reinforced why House Bills 1075 and 2798 were enacted. A former special education teacher’s assistant reported on Facebook that she recently quit her job in Edmond schools because a special-education teacher was abusing students at Edmond North High School and the school allowed it due to not wanting to fire her.

The new law also addresses the issue of superintendents and administrators who knowingly fail to report or interfere with child abuse or neglect. This legislation, House Bill 2798, provides felony charges punishable by at least two years in prison and up to 10 years for those found guilty.

Lawmakers aim to compel school administrators to report crimes rather than cover them up. “It’s been a problem that has plagued our nation’s children for years,” said state Rep. Toni Hasenbeck. “My intent was never for administrators to go to jail; it was to compel them to report the crime.”

The new law is part of a larger effort to protect students and prevent abuse in schools.

While some critics argue that this legislation may have unintended consequences, advocates like Skeens say that the new laws are necessary to ensure accountability in schools.

Skeens said her son is now thriving at a smaller school district where he has been integrated into the general population. “Notably, she said that district has successfully integrated the boy into the general population, while Duncan officials kept him segregated from other students despite Duncan being a larger school with more resources.”

The passage of this law marks an important step towards protecting Oklahoma’s students and holding schools accountable for preventing abuse.

In conclusion, Oklahoma’s new law against abusive school employees is an essential measure to ensure student safety. By closing the loophole that allowed abusers to hop districts, schools will be held accountable for their actions, and students will have a better chance of receiving the education they deserve without fear of abuse.

The law not only targets teachers and administrators but also supports personnel such as coaches, bus drivers, janitors, and school-resource officers. The legislation aims to make these individuals more accountable by assigning them a unique number and requiring them to be registered in a system.

Without this new law, many school employees can abuse children and then move to another district without consequences. By closing the loophole that allowed abusers to hop districts, schools will be better equipped to address incidents of abuse and protect students from harm.

The passage of House Bills 1075 and 2798 demonstrates Oklahoma’s commitment to protecting its students and preventing abuse in schools. The law aims to compel school administrators to report crimes rather than cover them up.

In the future, lawmakers will continue to work towards addressing other loopholes in the current system. By closing these gaps, they aim to create a safer environment for Oklahoma’s students.