Title IX lawsuit has the word 'SETTLE' written all over it
Did the Huron Schools fix its problem letting girl students be sexually harassed, assaulted?
HURON — There’s a road map to learning how the Huron school district’s insurance carrier is likely to respond to a Title IX lawsuit filed by a former student earlier this month.
Settle.
The school board reached agreements in two prior Title IX lawsuits, three years ago, agreeing to pay one victim $375,000 and the other one $250,000. In both of the earlier complaints, the former students claimed the district was allowing female students to be sexually abused and harassed by male students, starting in middle school, and district staff failed to protect them.
It happened to them at McCormick Middle School beginning in the 2018-19 school year, they said. Both girls left the school district the following year, before starting high school.
The alleged victim in the newest lawsuit remained enrolled in the Huron district until she was a junior in high school, the lawsuit states, and the harassment continued for three years. District staff — including the principal at McCormick Middle School and the cheerleading coach — favored males students, student athletes, in particular, according to the lawsuit.
The principal, the coach, school board members and district Superintendent James Tatman are all named as defendants in the lawsuit, filed on behalf of the former student, who is now about 19.
In August 2022, when the settlement agreements in the earlier lawsuits were announced, then board president Jody Mast, vowed that the board would address the problem of students being sexually harassed.
“Looking forward, the board commits to getting Title IX right. We are working closely with our new superintendent and outside experts to fully review the district's Title IX program in light of the new regulations proposed by the U.S. Department of Education in June. When this work is completed, the district will update all students, parents, staff and community stakeholders.
Every Huron student deserves an educational environment where they are safe, respected and able to do their best. 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."
Tatman, this week, said the district cannot comment on pending litigation.
The former student is represented by the Sandusky law firm of Flynn, Pi & Kruse, who declined comment. The lawsuit asks the court to impose an order requiring the school district to train personnel on how to respond to complaints and sexual harassment and assault.
The parents of one of the earlier victims contended in their lawsuit that the police department failed to properly investigate the complaints.
What we’re working on:
Get it right
• What steps did the district take to stop girls from being sexually harassed after the August 2022 announcement that the lawsuits were settled?
Where are they now?
• A look at personnel records from McCormick Middle School.