The Alliance Begins…

The Elephant Alliance was formed by two teachers who were fed up with educator sexual misconduct. This is a rampant problem in our country; a tragedy of epidemic proportions. And yet, it was the elephant in the room. No one was discussing this enormous issue with teachers. No one was talking about how to prevent educator sexual misconduct.

The frustration of this reality quickly led to this question: “If no one is talking about this to teachers, why don’t we?”

Our goal is to provide specialized information to every step of the broken system.

  • College Students

    College students about to begin their first teaching job are incredibly important in abuse prevention.

    Not only do they face unique challenges with setting healthy boundaries with their own students, but they also need to know how to detect and report misconduct in their colleagues.

  • Teachers and School Employees

    Bystanding teachers and staff are responsible adults in the school environment. They are the “boots on the ground,” so to speak, when it comes to detecting and reporting the grooming process of abusive teachers. Although all teachers are mandated reporters, we can support them in fulfilling their duty with better education.

  • School Administrators

    School administrators are quite possibly the most important link in the system. The way they handle allegations can “make or break” a criminal investigation and permanently alter the trajectory of a victim’s recovery.

    We need to support school administrators with strategies for creating a Culture of Safety in their school buildings.

  • Multidisciplinary Teams

    Multidisciplinary Teams are members of law enforcement, forensic interviewers, doctors, mental health professionals, district attorneys, and family/child advocacy services who work together to respond to incidents of child abuse.

    Understanding how grooming and abuse occurs in the school setting can improve outcomes for investigations and targets of abuse.

  • Parents

    When convicted sexual predators are interviewed about how they select children to target as victims, the variable that consistently has the most impact is the level of parental involvement in the child’s life.

    Parents can learn “red flags” that appear during the grooming process and how to best approach this topic with their children.

  • Students

    Children benefit from age-appropriate but direct conversations about sexual misconduct.

    Because of how effective the grooming process is, children often believe they are in a relationship and are not aware they are being sexually abused.

    Educator sexual misconduct is often NOT reported by the child being abused, but by a friend of the child. If all students can spot the warning signs of grooming, we increase the safety in schools by making them less “groomable.”

  • Legislators

    At the local, state, and federal levels, we are in desperate need for more consistent and comprehensive laws in response to educator sexual misconduct.

    Though great strides have been made in some areas, we need to continuing working for higher ages of consent, eliminating statues of limitation, and swift and higher sentencing for perpetrators. We also need a tracking system for teacher offenders that is comprehensive and searchable.

Meet the Team

Why elephants?

The inspiration for naming The Elephant Alliance originally came from our mission of confronting educator sexual misconduct head-on, instead of treating like “the elephant in the room.” However, elephants - as animals - also come into play.

Elephants symbolize many things. Power. Strength. Intelligence.

Female elephants, especially, are known for being deeply nurturing and forming strong communities. 

Elephants live in herds. When a member of the herd is threatened by a predator or otherwise vulnerable - such as being injured or giving birth - the adult female elephants will form a defensive circle around them. They face outward with their ears spread and tusks bared, forming a wall of protection.

If we are all armed with knowledge on detecting grooming and the confidence to stand up against it, The Elephant Alliance can form a defensive circle. We can keep our students safe from predators.

If you are a target of educator sexual misconduct, we hope The Elephant Alliance can be a defensive circle of nurturing strength. Knowing that you are not alone can be extremely empowering. We want to provide you with resources, support, and solidarity.