Abuse & Molestation Coverage for Christian Schools
The coverage your general liability policy excludes — why it has to be separate, why defense outside the limit matters, and the protection a school full of minors actually needs.
Standard general liability excludes abuse and molestation claims — including negligent-hiring and failure-to-supervise suits against the school itself. A Christian school needs a separate, dedicated abuse and molestation limit, ideally with legal defense paid outside the limit so the full limit stays available for the claim. Because a school has minors in its care all day, the exposure is higher than a church's weekend programs — and the limit should reflect it.
Your general liability won't respond — and that includes the school's negligence
Standard general liability policies exclude abuse and molestation, and the exclusion is broad: it also blocks negligence claims against the school — negligent hiring, screening, supervision, or failure to protect. So even when the school itself did nothing wrong but is sued for how it hired or supervised, general liability does not answer. That gap is closed only by a separate abuse and molestation coverage, often written as Sexual Acts Liability. The mechanics are the same ones we cover for churches — applied to a setting with far more minor contact.
A separate limit, with defense outside it
Two details decide what your coverage is really worth:
- It's a separate, dedicated limit — it shouldn't share with or erode your general liability.
- Legal defense is paid outside the limit — defense costs in an abuse case are enormous. When defense erodes the limit, a six-figure legal bill can consume most of a $300,000 limit before a dollar reaches the claim. Paid outside, the full limit stays available. Same number on the declarations page, very different protection.
What limit a Christian school should carry
The right limit scales with how many minors you serve and their age. A separate $300,000 per-occurrence limit is a common starting point, but a school typically warrants more than a church — your students are in your care all day, every school day, often including young children, athletics, and before- and after-school care. The more minor contact, the higher the limit should be.
It's also worth checking your renewal: as the market has hardened, some carriers quietly sub-limit or carve out abuse coverage. A flat premium with a narrowed abuse limit is a worse deal than it looks. We confirm the limit is still separate, still adequate, and still has defense outside it.
Prevention is part of the protection
Coverage and prevention work together. Criminal background checks on staff and volunteers, a two-adult rule that eliminates unobserved one-on-one contact with minors, documented training, and clear reporting procedures all lower the risk — and help you secure and keep good terms on the coverage. Most strong Christian schools already run these; the policy is the backstop when something slips through anyway.
Is your school's abuse limit separate — with defense outside it?
Many school policies carry a shared sublimit or defense inside the limit, and the school never knows until a claim. We'll check yours at no cost.
Request a Coverage ReviewSchool abuse & molestation coverage — questions answered
Does general liability cover abuse and molestation claims at a school? +
No. Standard general liability excludes abuse and molestation — and the exclusion also blocks negligence claims against the school itself, such as negligent hiring, screening, supervision, or failure to protect. That means the school is not covered even when it was not the perpetrator. A Christian school needs a separate abuse and molestation coverage, often written as Sexual Acts Liability.
Is it a separate limit, and why does "defense outside the limit" matter? +
It should be a separate, dedicated limit that does not erode your general liability. Just as important is how defense costs are handled: in the coverage we place, legal defense is paid outside the limit, so the full limit stays available for a settlement or judgment. Many policies do the opposite — defense erodes the limit, so a large legal bill can consume most of the coverage before a dollar reaches the claim. Same number on the page, very different protection.
What abuse and molestation limit should a Christian school carry? +
It scales with how many minors you serve and their age. A separate $300,000 per-occurrence limit is a common starting point, but a school — which has students in its care all day, every school day, often including young children and athletics — generally warrants more than a church running weekend programs. We size the limit to your enrollment, programs, and extended care.
Does the coverage protect the school if a staff member or volunteer is accused? +
Yes — that is its core purpose. It responds to claims against the school for its own liability: negligent hiring, screening, supervision, or failure to protect when an employee, volunteer, or third party is accused. It funds the school's defense and damages. (The intentional act of an actual perpetrator is never covered for that individual, but the school's negligence-based liability is exactly what this coverage answers.)
What prevention does the coverage expect from a school? +
Carriers look for — and good schools already run — written safeguards: criminal background checks on staff and volunteers, a two-adult rule (no unobserved one-on-one contact with minors), documented training, and clear reporting procedures. Strong prevention both lowers the risk and helps you secure and keep good terms on the coverage.
Insuring a Georgia Christian school?
We make sure the school's real exposures — abuse & molestation, educators legal liability, student accident, and more — are actually covered, not assumed. Free, no-obligation coverage review.