Crossing the Line: The NCSESAME Podcast

What happens when a survivor's story doesn't fit society's expectations? In this powerful episode of Crossing the Line , host Joelle Casteixspeaks with educator, researcher, advocate, and survivor Dr. Donna Bulatowicz , whose life was forever changed by abuse at the hands of a female elementary school teacher. Donna shares her deeply personal story of grooming, abuse, institutional bet...

NOTE: This episode is audio only. What does it take to speak truth to power when no one wants to listen? In this special crossover episode of Crossing the Line and Blooming After Grooming , host Joelle Casteix shares her personal journey from survivor advocate to nationally recognized voice for accountability, child protection, and institutional reform. Long before the #MeToo movement, Joelle was...

Before it’s abuse, it’s grooming. In this deeply powerful episode of Crossing the Line , Joelle Casteix speaks with survivor, advocate, and national speaker Michelle Denault about how educator sexual abuse often begins—not with force, but with manipulation, attention, secrecy, and emotional dependency. Michelle shares the devastating story of how, at just 14 years old, she was groomed by a popular...

International student exchange programs promise opportunity, cultural immersion, and safety. But what happens when oversight fails? In this episode of Crossing the Line , host Joelle Casteix speaks with Danielle Grijalva, founder of the Committee for Safety of Foreign Exchange Students, who has spent nearly two decades documenting cases of abuse, exploitation, and systemic failure within the inter...

What does it actually take to prepare educators to recognize — and prevent — sexual misconduct in schools? In this episode, host Joelle Casteix talks with Dr. Jeffrey Haverland, professor of teacher education at the University of Dubuque and member of the NC SESAME Board of Directors, about his groundbreaking work integrating ethics and risk-based decision-making into teacher preparation programs....

What happens when powerful institutions protect themselves instead of children? In this episode of Crossing the Line , Joelle Casteix interviews the filmmakers behind In Loco Parentis , a searing documentary exposing decades of sexual abuse and cover-ups at two elite boarding schools. This film goes beyond a single survivor story. It reveals how systems of power, wealth, and legacy can silence vic...

NCSESAME Board of Advisors Member Dr. Glenn Lipson shares deep insights into preventing educator sexual misconduct, understanding boundary violations, and supporting survivor healing. This conversation covers pathways to abuse, institutional responses, and practical tools for educators and administrators. Dr. Lipson is a clinical and forensic psychologist with decades of experience supporting trau...

In this episode of the Crossing the Line podcast, host Joelle Casteix speaks with Dr. Billie Jo Grant, NCSESAME board member and expert in preventing school employee sexual misconduct. They discuss the evolution of child protection strategies, the challenges faced by school administrators, the importance of open communication, and the role of Title IX in K-12 education. Dr. Grant emphasizes the ne...

In this powerful and deeply honest episode of Crossing the Line , host Joelle Casteix sits down with Kristy Rowe , a survivor of educator sexual misconduct at Rosemead High School in Los Angeles County. Following journalist Matt Drange’s investigation into decades of abuse, grooming, and institutional cover-ups at Rosemead, Kristy steps forward to tell her story publicly — not for attention, but t...

Investigative journalist Matt Drange joins Joelle to discuss his groundbreaking reporting on educator sexual abuse at Rosemead High School—work that helped expose institutional failures and bring long-hidden truths to light. In this candid conversation, Matt shares how he earned the trust of survivors, what he uncovered in the district’s response, and why rigorous reporting remains essential to pr...

In this powerful conversation, Joelle sits down with Terri Miller, President of the NCSESAME Board of Directors, to trace her remarkable journey from exposing educator sexual misconduct in Nevada to becoming one of the nation’s most trusted advocates for student safety. Terri shares how her early work uncovering abuse shaped her commitment to accountability, what led her to SESAME’s founding missi...

In this conversation, Joelle sits down with Faith Colson , NCSESAME Board Member and national advocate working to stop educator sexual misconduct. Faith discusses the policy gaps that put students at risk, how “passing the trash” continues today, and the change survivors are driving nationwide. It’s a look at how personal testimony becomes public reform.

Introducing Crossing the Line , a podcast from NCSESAME. Each episode will explore the systemic problem of educator sexual misconduct—how it happens, why it continues, and what must change. Through interviews with survivors, experts, and policy leaders, we’re exposing the failures that allow abuse to persist—and lifting up the solutions that protect students. Learn more at NCSESAME.org