The Monroe County School Board is facing a sexual harassment lawsuit. According to the suit, a second grader was being repeatedly groped by another student. The harassment went on for years, and school staff never did anything to correct the problem despite the student’s pleas for help.
The lawsuit was filed in May 2017, and despite mediation sessions, the parents of the young victim have not agreed to resolve the issue. The parents say that they cannot afford to pay for more mediations. The parents are now representing themselves in the matter. An attorney representing the School Board said that continuing settlement negotiations without the assistance of a mediator would be a more productive way to seek resolution. Late last month, on June 27, the federal judge presiding over the matter agreed to let the parties negotiate without using a mediator.
According to the lawsuit, a bus driver, teachers and other school employees all ignored the the second-grade girl’s complaints that she was being groped daily by one of her classmates, where she attended school at Marathon’s Stanley Switlik Elementary. The allegations go on to note that the young girl suffered punishment for complaining about the unwanted groping she was being subjected to. The harassment continued for two years, and only came to a stop when she left the school to attend middle school.
There is no excuse for unwanted sexual harassment, no matter where the harassment is happening, no matter who is committing it and no matter how old the victim and abuser are. Those who have been forced to endure this kind of abuse in Florida may be able to pursue financial restitution and justice in court.
Source: flkeysnews.com, “School Board still facing sex harassment lawsuit,” Gwen Filosa, accessed July 21, 2017
