He Was Fired for Sexually Harassing Students. California Allowed Him to Keep Teaching Anyway.

ProPublica's investigation, produced in partnership with KQED, reports that Jason Agan, a California high school teacher fired in 2019 after 11 students and a parent complained of sexual harassment and unwanted touching, was subsequently hired at two additional schools despite the state's Commission on Teacher Credentialing's failure to revoke or meaningfully restrict his teaching license. The reporting demonstrates substantial journalistic rigor: the story is bylined by Holly McDede, draws on interviews with 14 Rodriguez High graduates, includes named sources (superintendent Kris Corey, panelist on record, former student quotes), specific documentation from school records and official hearings, and detailed accounts of Agan's behavior and the independent panel's unanimous termination decision. The investigation uncovers a broader systemic failure—at least 67 educators in California have not had licenses revoked after school-determined sexual misconduct findings since 2019, with at least 12 still employed in education—and notes that California's credentialing database conceals disciplinary reasons unlike licensing bodies for doctors, nurses, lawyers, and police in the state, and unlike 12 other states including Oregon and Washington. The independent search results corroborate that teacher sexual misconduct cases and delayed accountability span multiple states and contexts, suggesting this is part of a documented national pattern rather than an isolated incident. Watch for any state legislative response to close the transparency gap in California's teacher credentialing process and whether the Commission on Teacher Credentialing implements faster disciplinary timelines and public disclosure requirements.