Sexual misconduct lawsuits drive major losses on campuses, study reveals

Sexual misconduct claims, settlements, and lawsuits are one of the largest drivers of financial and legal risk in higher education, according to a 2026 analysis from United Educators. Drawing from publicly reported settlements and jury awards of $2.5 million or more in 2025, the report identified 41 large‐loss cases totaling $1.2 billion, with colleges and universities responsible for roughly $909 million of those losses.