Unless punished, teachers accused of sex abuse can stay anonymous, court finds

The names of school teachers who are simply accused of sexual misconduct, and not found responsible for it or punished, should not be made public, the Supreme Court of Washington state has found.

Ruling against the Seattle Times and its public records request for the names of instructors alleged to have abused a child, the Court decided 6 to 3 to side with the the teachers’  right to privacy. According to The Times, the court said only in cases where the sexual abuse is substantiated, or the teacher is reprimanded, must the names be revealed.