The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights opened an investigation into Jefferson County Public Schools on Tuesday, examining whether the district properly handled reports of sexual misconduct by staff and complied with Title IX. The probe stems from a complaint filed in June by Jeffco parent Lindsay Datko. Federal officials said they will review whether the district responded to reports of staff sexual harassment in keeping with Title IX and whether its policies for handling such reports are adequate. The investigation is examining allegations; it has not established that the district violated the law. Datko said her complaint included 48 cases she and others documented through public-records requests, ranging from criminal conduct to grooming. She said the records raised concerns about hiring practices and employees who, she argued, should have been investigated, dismissed or lost professional licenses. The Office for Civil Rights described the matter as involving “systematic staff misconduct” and cited at least four recent arrests of school employees for sexually assaulting students on campus. The agency did not identify the arrests in its statement. A district spokesperson said Jeffco Public Schools was aware of the complaint but declined to comment on the investigation. “Student safety is top priority for Jeffco Public Schools,” the spokesperson said, adding that the district has rules for investigating reports of adult sexual misconduct and that such behavior has no place in its schools. Datko said she felt relief that federal officials were reviewing her concerns, but emphasized that she wants the district to improve. “We want a solution and we want JeffCo to succeed and to be really the safest place possible,” she said, adding that transparency would be necessary. The federal office opened similar investigations in at least eight other school districts across the country, including districts in New York, California, Georgia, North Carolina, Missouri, Texas and Virginia. Federal officials described the effort as a nationwide crackdown on “Pass the Trash” practices, in which employees accused of misconduct can move between school systems without adequate scrutiny. The inquiry adds to existing tensions between the federal government and the district. Jeffco is suing the Trump administration over the federal government’s attempt to withhold funding in connection with district policies concerning transgender students. Datko also filed two other complaints: one concerning sleeping arrangements for transgender students on school trips, and another alleging violations of protections for students experiencing homelessness. Federal officials declined to investigate those complaints, citing overlap with an existing inquiry in the first case and lack of jurisdiction in the second.