The transcript for this witness testimony is currently in production by our volunteers. It will be available soon here on this page and as a downloadable PDF.

Summary

Sherrie Conley testifies about the widespread issue of sexual assault, abuse, and harassment in schools, revealing that 1 in 10 students experience such violations by school employees before graduating high school. She presents Canadian data showing 1,772 victims over 25 years, with only 6% of cases being reported. She explains how predators, including teachers, coaches, administrators, and support staff, use social media platforms like Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook to groom victims. She notes that rural schools are particularly vulnerable because predators cultivate positive community personas to protect themselves when accusations arise. Conley emphasizes that students are captive audiences who depend on school employees for grades, sports positions, and scholarships, making them vulnerable to exploitation. She discusses how sex education and explicit library content break down appropriate boundaries, facilitating grooming. She strongly recommends implementing healthy boundaries legislation to prohibit private messaging between school employees and students, holding administrators accountable for failures to protect, and ensuring parents report incidents to police rather than schools first. She warns that peer-on-peer assault is also increasing and calls for comprehensive policy changes to protect children.

Credentials

Sherrie Conley is an educational leader and former Oklahoma state legislator with degrees in general studies and educational leadership. She founded Broken Trust in 2023 to address sexual assault in schools and advocate for child protection policies. With 36 years of experience as an educator, she served as an elected representative in the Oklahoma legislature from November 2018 through November 2024. In 2023, she founded Broken Trust after witnessing a video about a sexual assault victim whose perpetrator continued teaching for 30 years. Sherrie Conley testifies about the widespread issue of sexual assault, abuse, and harassment in schools, revealing that 1 in 10 students experience such violations by school employees before graduating high school. She presents Canadian data showing 1,772 victims over 25 years, with only 6% of cases being reported. She explains how predators use social media platforms to groom victims and notes that rural schools are particularly vulnerable. She strongly recommends implementing healthy boundaries legislation to prohibit private messaging between school employees and students and calls for comprehensive policy changes to protect children.