In Huron #DontTell beats out #MeToo
Three years after settling lawsuits, school board hasn't addressed sexual harassment complaints, training for staff
HURON —
Three former McCormick Middle School students allege years of sexual harassment and abuse, exposing continued failures in the Huron school district despite previous settlements and promises of reform.
It was just a year or so after national media coverage of high-profile sexual assault cases helped launch the #MeToo movement, but for three girls enrolled at McCormick Middle School in 2019, it was more “#InHuronDontTell.”
The first two students reached settlements in August 2022 when the district’s insurance company, with school board approval, agreed to pay a total of $625,000 to resolve two Title IX lawsuits. The one girl’s award was $375,000; the other’s $250,000. The girls alleged sexual harassment, physical abuse, and, in one case, sexual assault, claiming school staff failed to intervene or protect them. Both left the district before starting high school.
School officials, teachers, staff, and even local law enforcement, the lawsuits claim, prioritized student athletes over the safety of female students.
After approving the settlements, board members vowed to “get it right,” promising stronger protections for female students and staff training on proper response to complaints.
“Every Huron student deserves an educational environment where they are safe, respected, and able to do their best,” board member Jody Mast said at the time. “This new board and our new district leadership team will hold ourselves and our district accountable to ensuring that our words and actions facilitate compliance and positive student outcomes.”
Promises unfulfilled
Since that vote, the board has met publicly more than 50 times, reviewing documents, passing resolutions, and voting on contracts and labor agreements. But according to Superintendent James Tatman, no formal board actions specifically addressing Title IX initiatives or staff training have been undertaken.
“I do not recall any formal board action specifically related to Title IX initiatives. After Jodi’s statements following the first set of litigation, I entered the district with an understanding of the board’s expectations around Title IX compliance and the broader goal of elevating student safety,” Tatman told StayTunedSandusky.com.
Third student comes forward
The third former McCormick student, now about 19, filed her own Title IX lawsuit on Aug. 7 in U.S. District Court. She alleges sexual abuse beginning in 2019 that continued for three years while she remained enrolled in the district.
The lawsuit names the principal, the cheerleading coach, school board members, and Superintendent Tatman as defendants, claiming staff repeatedly favored male students, particularly athletes, over the safety and wellbeing of female students.
Title IX, a federal civil rights law passed in 1972, prohibits sex-based discrimination in any school or educational program receiving federal funding.
The latest lawsuit underscores that, despite prior settlements and public promises, the Huron school district has not fully addressed systemic failures in protecting students from sexual harassment and assault.