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Republic schools paid $185,000 settlement to teen who was sexually assaulted

The district released the figures on Thursday to settle a lawsuit filed by the Springfield News-Leader.

June 15, 2012|by Gene Hartley | ghartley@schurz.com

REPUBLIC, Mo. -- The Republic School District paid $185,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by a student and her family who said the district didn't protect her from being raped several times.  The district released the settlement figure on Thursday after a lawsuit filed by the Springfield News-Leader, which argued state law requires the amount to be made public.

Under the settlement, the district paid $122,315 to the girl and her family and $62,685 to the girl's attorney.  The district won't say if the settlement was covered by the district's insurance policy.  The district also paid mediation and court costs.

The student's lawsuit said the school didn't protect her from a classmate who harassed, assaulted and raped her several times during two school years.  The first time she reported a rape, the lawsuit said, school officials didn't believe her, made her apologize to the boy, and suspended her from school. 

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After she returned to school the next year, the lawsuit said, the boy assaulted her again.  She said she didn't report it because she was afraid of again being called a liar.  Her mother took her for a forensic exam, the lawsuit said, and investigator matched semen on her body to her attacker, leading him to be charged.  The boy was found guilty of attempted sexual assault in juvenile court.

Beyond releasing the settlement figures, the district wouldn't comment about the case.  The district said it got permission from a judge to release the payment amount, which it says was sealed at first to try to protect the privacy of the student and her family.

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