Seattle Public Schools is launching an internal audit of its human resources department, taking a hard look at how the district investigates teachers accused of harassment or sexual abuse. The district posted a request for proposals for the review in June 2026, and thirteen different agencies submitted bids to conduct it, with several based in Washington state.
The audit will examine whether investigations are handled in a timely manner and whether outcomes are applied consistently across cases, according to KUOW. It will also assess the district's best practices around recruiting, hiring, promotion, and separation. The review is being managed through Bid Locker, a submission platform used by universities and government agencies, the station reports.
Superintendent Ben Shuldiner, who joined Seattle Public Schools in February 2026, told the station that improving the district's investigation process has been a priority since he arrived. He said he pushed to track the status of investigations going back the last couple of years, and in March said the district lacks solid systems and structures to handle inquiries effectively and protect children.
Why the District Says Speed Matters
Shuldiner has framed the overhaul partly as a due-process issue, not just a child-safety one. Fixing the district's flawed process, he said, could help accused teachers get resolution more quickly rather than languishing under open investigations. “Everybody is given the right to plead their case,” he told the station, adding that each case is different.
A Seattle Public Schools spokesperson declined an interview request but wrote that the request for proposals reflects ongoing efforts to improve district operations and business practices, per the station's reporting. The audit carries an estimated budget of $80,000, with a maximum of $100,000, and the contracting phase is still underway; the district has not yet finalized which bidder it will select.
A Pattern of Slow-Moving Cases
The push for reform follows a high-profile case that has drawn scrutiny to how Seattle Public Schools handles misconduct complaints. An internal HR investigation completed in June 2026 concluded it was “more likely than not” that a special education teacher grabbed an eight-year-old autistic student at Rising Star Elementary in December 2025, according to Emerald City Wire. That finding came months after the teacher was elected president of the Seattle Education Association while on paid administrative leave, a saga Hoodline detailed in its coverage of the union election.
Statewide data adds further context to the transparency concerns swirling around teacher discipline. InvestigateWest reported in February 2026 that 11 of the 15 Seattle Public Schools educators recorded in a statewide misconduct database since 2015 had voluntarily surrendered their teaching licenses, a mechanism critics say lets educators halt state inquiries and keep misconduct records shielded from public view. The outlet later reported that in July 2026, the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction proposed regulatory changes to expand emergency authority to temporarily restrict teachers' licenses during active investigations, aiming to stop accused educators from landing jobs in other districts before inquiries wrap up.
Not the District's First Outside Review
Seattle Public Schools has turned to outside consultants before to address structural problems in its HR operations. Moss Adams LLP completed a follow-up assessment in November 2021 evaluating 22 recommendations meant to improve the district's Labor and Employee Relations division and streamline grievance and investigation processes. Two years later, in October 2023, the same firm completed a student safety performance audit examining whether the district had efficient mechanisms to detect, investigate, and address safety incidents involving employees or contractors.
Under Washington law, specifically RCW 28A.400.322, districts must automatically disqualify or discharge any certificated or classified employee with contact with children if background checks turn up convictions for specified crimes against minors or physical abuse. Public scrutiny of how districts handle these cases intensified further in April 2026, when Seattle public radio station KUOW published a seven-part investigative podcast called “Adults in the Room,” detailing how the district mishandled reports of teacher sexual abuse at Garfield High School during the 1990s, as reported by OPB.
An Audit Amid Budget Strain
The HR review lands as Shuldiner manages a projected district budget deficit between $87 million and $100 million, according to KIRO 7. Rather than pursue immediate mass layoffs, he has opted to eliminate or repurpose vacant administrative roles, a strategy Hoodline previously covered in its report on his central office cost-cutting push.
Seattle Public Schools is the largest K-12 system in Washington state, serving roughly 48,700 students across more than 100 schools with a $1.34 billion General Fund operating budget for the 2026-27 school year. The HR audit is targeted for completion by December 2026 and will be presented to the district's finance and audit committee in March 2027, giving families and staff a firm timeline to watch as the district works to close gaps that have persisted through multiple rounds of outside review.
